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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22489720">Fight the Good Fight</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/AmelieLaForte/pseuds/AmelieLaForte'>AmelieLaForte</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Camp Camp (Web Series)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Blood and Injury, Eventual Romance, F/M, Fluff and Humor, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Swearing, Threats of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-01-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-01-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 07:42:12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>36</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>30,080</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22489720</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/AmelieLaForte/pseuds/AmelieLaForte</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>"Don't you fucking get it? Nobody cares! We're all at this shitty camp for the entire summer. Stop pretending to be all happy and shit! Just face the fucking reality of the situation for god damn once." Max was glaring so hard that you felt like fire was simmering on your skin. Teary eyed and scuffed to all hell, you forced a smile. "But isn't this better than anywhere you've been before?"</p><p>WARNINGS:<br/>Strong language<br/>Implied Sexual Activity (aka when Max says "go suck a dick". There will be NO activity like that between the reader. These are children! Just first love fluff ok!!!)<br/>Implied Abuse<br/>It's Max</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Max (Camp Camp)/Reader</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>118</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Off on the Wrong Foot</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>'Hi everyone! My name is (Y/N) and I'm really happy to be here!' No, that sounded way too nerdy, you thought. Okay, try again. 'Hi! Name's (Y/N). 'Sup." Oh god. That was even worse. Groaning, you shook the thoughts out of your head and glanced out the window. "We're almost there. Stop yer shufflin'." The driver's voice was harsh and raspy, with just a hint of bass. You sighed and apologized, sat as still as possible, and tried to imagine what the camp would be like. You felt like throwing up your breakfast at the image of cliquey kids and shitty camp counsellors. The bus suddenly turned right, and you grabbed the side of the seat and yelped. 'God! This old guy drives like a maniac!' Instantly regretting this rude thought, your face blossomed into a blush. The sound of the brakes pulled you out of your daze, and you eagerly hopped off of the bus. The gravel crunched under your feet, and the gentle breeze carried the scent of nature along across the camp site. 'Wow.' Glancing even farther down, you even noticed there was a lake. "This place is really pretty.." ,the thoughts pushed their way out in a hushed whisper. A large hand smacked against the flat of your back and you screamed, launching 3 inches into the air. "It sure is, new camper! I'm so glad we finally have a kiddo that understands the beauty of nature." You whipped around to see what weirdo was talking, and instantly recognized the outfit from the camp pamphlet. His smile was nothing short of radiant, and he bent down to your level to speak directly. </p><p>"My name is David, and I-" He jumped up faster than lightning, and frantically began running towards the bus. "Max! No! You get back here right this instant! What did I say about trying to leave camp?!" You were certain that there was no one on the bus while you were riding it, right? The lanky man returned, holding up a boy by the hood of his blue sweater. He was practically rabid in appearance, with blood shot eyes and a deep set frown. You took a step back away from the kid, worried he would do something drastic. He locked eyes with you, and bared his teeth. "The FUCK are you looking at, you doe eyed idiot?!" You blushed at the clear insult and felt your heart sink. "I-I..." but before you could apologize, another adult grabbed the kid from him and shook hard. "Don't be mean to the new kid, Max! That's not cool." It was a pretty woman with brown hair and tanned skin. In that moment, she looked like an angel. But Max wasn't done barking. "And fuck you too, Gwen! Glad to see your associate's degree is really coming in handy!" She dropped him hard, and he hit the ground with a 'whap'. </p><p>Growling and muttering insults, he wiped his mouth and glared at you until Gwen smacked the back of his head. Stuffing his hands into the pocket of his hoodie he spat out a final, "Yeah fuck this, I've got better shit to do.", and headed off to god knows where. Confused, you glanced at your leaders for any sort of explanation for what just happened. David just shook his head and urged you to follow him around camp for a tour. You complied, and at the end of the horrendously long walk, you were brought to the mess hall. "Everyone, I'd like you to meet Camp Campbell's newest camper, (Y/N)!" You felt 10 pairs of interested eyes lock onto you, and 1 angry glare. "Hi...uhh..." the words you practiced rolled out of your head, and you froze like a deer in the headlights. Fortunately, some kid in a suit raised his hand high into the air and ecstatically exclaimed a series of  "Ooo! Ooo!" 's. You meekly waved, and he deemed that as a go ahead to ask what was on his mind. "Do you like space?" Eager to get along with at least one person here, you nodded. He pumped his fists. "Yeeeeeeesss!" Obviously incredibly happy about your answer. A sudden barrage of questions were thrown your way, and you stepped back from the horde. The entire cafeteria was abuzz and so loud, you were sure that your eardrums would burst at any moment. A thundering smack sounded through the room, and everything stopped. "Shut the HELL UP you fucking freaks! You're making the food taste even shittier!" You knew exactly who was yelling, and averted your gaze far away from the noise. Oddly enough, everyone seemed to listen to him. Muttering, the children returned to their seats and began to pick at their food. You knew what you had to do in order to survive this summer, and the thought left a bitter taste in your mouth. If Max was their ringleader, you were just going to have to get on his good side. David smiled big and apologized on the children's behalf. "So, (Y/N), how do you like camp so far?" You glanced warily at Max and forced a smile. </p><p>"It's great."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. A Quick Dip</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This is officially where I start being ok with what I’m writing. Welcome, campers!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sleeping that night was difficult. You had nightmares of being beaten up by Max and his crew, being sent away to a new camp, and having your secrets exposed. Max, on the other hand, slept extremely well knowing that there was fresh meat to make miserable. </p><p>That morning, the campers commented on how terrible you looked. A boy introduced himself as Preston, grasped your hand and kneeled. Begging you to play the part of Ophelia, he then placed a tender kiss on the top of your fingers. You dumbly shook your head yes, not knowing anything about what he was dramatically saying. A cute girl with elf ears urged you to sit next to her, and asked if you knew anything about the arcane. You sadly said no, but she was unphased. "That is quite alright, fair maiden. The art of spells should not be tampered with lightly. You are wise to stay off of the path to dark wisdom." Again, you nodded. They might be weird, but at least they were kind. A shy boy scooted a rock your way. "I...know what it's like being the new kid. You can have one of my special moon rocks." You gingerly picked it up and began to study it. "No one wants your stupid 'space rocks' you fucking freak." Max swiped the rock from your hand and tossed it towards the mess hall kitchen. A large clattering sound erupted from inside, and you gasped. </p><p>Max smiled devilishly and glanced your way. "Oh, I'm sorry. Did you want to keep that junk?" You squeezed your hands into fists and held your tongue. He snarled and shoved his hands into the pocket of his hoodie. "Yeah. Fucking thought so." He spat, and stormed off. Nerris gave you a pat on the back and explained that's just the way Max is. You bit the inside of your cheek and glared downward, imagining you decking that little jerk in the face. It didn't really make you feel better. Sure, you could hurt him, or try to. But what would be the point? You're trying to get on his good side, and fighting him infront of all these people would definitely put you in his radar. But what if you won? Then the problem would be solved. Nerris tossed some glitter your way. "Don't worry, (Y/N)! You've been ensnared in a common hypnosis spell. I've got you covered." You giggled, forgetting all about Max, and gave her your pudding. She thanked you for helping her restore her mana. </p><p>That day, the camp activity was swimming. You felt a little embarrassed, since swimming wasn't the easiest activity for you. David gathered the kids around and explained how far they could go out. You shuffled slightly, grasping the inflatable tube tightly as he demonstrated the proper way to swim if you got caught in a current. "There's no currents here, you idiot." Ah, there was Max. He disappeared for a while after tossing your rock, but you figured he would be back. No one could resist a chance to cool off in the lake. David looked completely unphased, changing the topic swiftly into a breaststroke technique. Some of the kids giggled when he said breast, but most looked bored. Finally the talk was over, and David headed your way and stooped down. "Hey, (Y/N)! I have a lifevest here for you. I read in your file you have trouble swimming-" You blushed hard and placed your hands over his mouth, effectively quieting his babbling. Everyone else was already swimming, so luckily they didn't hear it. Max raised an eyebrow at you and David, scoffed, and continued to kick rocks into the lake. The counselors eyebrows scrunched together, and after realizing what you meant, nodded swiftly. You made your way to the dock and crouched down, getting ready to set your floatie in the water and slide gently into the water. "What, having trouble?" You froze, recognizing the voice it belonged to. Nurf. Before you could retort, he lifted you high above his head. "P-please! Wait!" You could feel the sneer he was wearing. Nurf barked out a disgusting laugh. "Not a chance, loser!" He tossed you as hard as he could. Before you landed in the water, you could hear a loud "Hey!", and then only the rush of freezing water as you shot down into the lake. You pushed your hands up and clawed desperately, hoping you would shoot to the surface soon. Your heart was beating too loud to hear anything, the water felt like it was crushing you. Someone grasped your wrist and you tried to struggle free, until you felt it was tugging you upward. You broke the surface and gagged, the water rushing out of your mouth, and coughed harshly. Air rushed in, and you felt tears pricking at the corner of your eyes. Was someone talking to you? You tried to focus on the voice instead of panicking. "NURF! You're such a fucking IDIOT! WHEN I GET TO SHORE YOU'RE GOING TO WISH YOUR MOM SUCCESSFULLY ABORTED YOU!" Your eyes were to bleary to make out who was tugging you, but that voice could only belong to one person. Max. You felt the sand of the shore touch the tip of your big toe, and kicked, trying to find purchase. "(Y/N)! Stop struggling or Ill push you back out! Fucking retard!" You did as he said, and soon you were fully on the shore. Max let go of your wrist sharply, and took off before you could process anything. You blinked your eyes to clear them, and saw the rest of the kids surrounding you. Space Kid was shaking in his suit. You pushed yourself up, wincing at the pain in your wrist. Nikki was practically bouncing as she exclaimed how "COOL!" and "AWESOME!" it was to see someone almost die. Nerris was struggling not to cry as she chanted a spell to fix your wrist. David scooped you up from the sand and wrapped a towel around you, chattering quickly reassurances and letting you know you were safe. You nodded blearily, and closed your eyes to rest.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. A Bit Better</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hmm..Max is acting OOC. Shruuuuuug.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The sun was getting annoying. You just wanted to rest some more, and the windows of the cabin were letting in too much light. Groaning, you shuffled a bit in the bed, and winced as your wrist protested. The skin around it was bruised, the form of four fingers glaringly obvious as you inspected it. You weren't angry, though. Max had only done it to save you. Your stomach dropped. Max. Why did he save you? He hated you, didn't he? Wouldn't it be better to let you drown? You shook your head. Even if you hated someone, you would still save them. A gentle knock reverberated through the room, and you tried to speak. Your throat hurt bad, and you could only cough. David appeared by the bed, sporting a tray of breakfast and a glass of water. "Hey, (Y/N)! Glad to see you're awake. Oh golly. That looks real nasty!" You knew he was referring to your wrist, and you nodded a stiff reply. He handed you the glass, and you smiled. The water soothed the pain in the back of your throat, and you mumbled a quick thank you. He beamed, and began to apologize for not being the one to save you. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a bottle of pain medication, but you stiffly refused. The pain wasn't that bad, and you doubted it would help a bruise feel better. David looked confused. "This isn't for you, unless you need some! This is for-" a groan of pure torment shot through the room, and you peered around David to see just what was making the noise. The pill bottle rattled gently as he gathered up the right dosage. "Here, Nurf. These will help ease the pain."</p><p>The sun was glaring by the time you were released from the medical cabin. You blanched as you remembered the way Nurf looked. He was almost completely covered in bruises, and his eyes were so swollen that he couldn't see a thing. David had chuckled nervously when you first saw him and said it was probably a bear attack. "(Y/N)!!" You looked around wildly to see who was calling for you, and spotted a tuft of blue-green hair peeking from the branch of a tree. Confirming your suspicions, the hairball shouted a quick "Up here!" Before a simple rope ladder fell and slapped against the giant trunk of the tree. You glanced up, and prepared to ascend before glancing down at your wrist. "I..I don't think I can cli-", you spat out meekly, but Nikki was already yelling again. "Hurry up!", rang loud and clear, and your eyebrows knit together in determination. Grasping the ladder with one hand, you pushed slowly but surely up to the top. Nikki, Max, and Neil were all sitting on a group of branches that fit perfectly together, and you swung your legs up and over a branch to sit firmly. Max's green eyes were boring holes into your wrist, and you could feel the dull throb of the ghost pain of when he dragged you to the surface. You swallowed thinly and prepared to thank him for what he did, but he was giving you such a menacing glare that your words died. Nikki was ooing and ahhing at the way your arm looked, and Neil looked between you and Max before deciding it wasn't worth his time. You were quickly gathering up the nerve, even with Max looking like that, to say something. "I'm sorry!" You squeaked out, hoping he could hear you. Oddly, his face scrunched up even more. The words leaked out of his mouth like venom from a viper. "What are you sorry about? Why are you even here? What's your camp? The loser weakling camp?" You shrunk back, the bark of the tree cutting into your legs. "Who the hell doesn't know how to swim? What is wrong with you?" You could feel the back of your eyes beginning to burn, when a voice spoke up. "I had a floatie." Oh my god. It was your voice. Your face grew pale and you stared shocked at Max. He looked just as shocked. Nikki barked a laugh. "A floatie! Hahah! That's so cute. Hey. Hey!" She shook your leg roughly causing you to break eye contact with Max. "You know what Nurfs' camp is? Fighting bears!" After delivering the punchline, she exploded into a fit of tears and laughter. Neil rolled his eyes. Max's face broke out into a sinister smile. "Yeah Nikki. Fighting bears." You glanced at him quickly, and he noticed. His smile dropped, and his eyes flickered to your wrist again. "Yeah." He mumbled out, quieter this time. "A bear."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Learning Time!</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The next day came, and Nurf was still in the medical cabin for his wounds. David pulled everyone to the side and exclaimed that today was a very special day, and started to show us all the proper technique to fight bears. Nikki was laughing hysterically, bent over at the knees and holding her stomach as she tried to form a sentence. "Hahahaha! If only! Haha! If only NURF was here! He needs this Hahahahah! More than everyone!" Neil wasn't so sure. "David? Did you even look at Nurf? His wounds definitely do NOT match up with a common bear attack. In fact, the bruises look more like hands than paws. If my hypothesis is correct... I suspect-OW!" His words were choked off with a swift kick from Max. He didn't look very amused either, with a deep set frown on his face. Neil looked both shocked and in pain as he held his sore leg. "What the fuck, Max! What was that for?!" Max rolled his eyes, mumbling a rude comment about not wanting to hear "any nerd shit", since it was "too fucking early". Shaking your head, you turned your attention back to the counselor. He was now on the floor, eyes closed and tongue hanging out of his mouth. "Thith ith where you pwetend you are dead!" David said, not bothering to put his tongue back in. You glanced back at the trio and saw Max staring straight at you, with Neil and Nikki arguing about what bear attacks really look like. He tilted his head back once, motioning towards the forest. You stared dumbfounded, and tapped your chest one time. "Me?" Max's face instantly hardened up, motioned one more time towards the edge of the woods, and mouthed "Yes, retard." You nodded slightly and slunk away from the group, trailing after him. When you both entered the woods, he veered left, heading past an expanse of trees and traveling deeper. After about a minute or two, he swung around quickly and you stumbled back from the shock. A look of shock flashed on his face, but it was gone in an instant as his hand lashed out and grabbed your wrist to keep you from falling. Sucking in a sharp breath because of the pain and shutting your eyes, you couldn't help but cry out. "Ow!" Max instantly let go of your wrist, and you started to fall again. He grabbed your arm this time, and swiftly tugged, forcing you upright again. You mumbled out a sheepish "Thank you.." but he didn't reply. The silence was intense. Finally, after what felt like ages, he spoke. "Hey." You balked. Hey? That's what you had to drag me into the forest to say? That's what needed total privacy? Before you could think more about it, he continued. "I'm sorry, okay? About..about your arm. About Nurf. He's a fucking retard. And so are you. Who the fuck doesn't know how to swim? It's basic fucking stuff." Your face instantly flamed. "W-what?" Unable to process what he just said, you stared blankly back. He glared in response. "I said you're a fucking idiot." You sputtered out an "ok..?", and he grabbed your arm to inspect your wrist. You squeaked, unable to hide the look of surprise. He rolled his eyes and went back to checking it out. You tried to break the awkward moment by asking him what was lingering on your mind. "A bear, huh?" Letting your arm drop back into place, he shrugged. "Yeah. A bear. Come on. They're probably wondering where we are. I'm sure Counselor Cocksucker is just fucking going nuts worrying about more bear attacks." You laughed, and stepped forward to follow him. He chose instead to hang back until you reached his side. You took the opportunity to be playful, hoping this meant you were on his good side. "I'll have you know I could probably beat off a bear." He guffawed and tilted his head to give you a menacing smile. "Yeah? I'm sure Nurf thought he could too." Before you could think of a response, the edge of the forest came into view. Sure enough, you could hear the chatter of campers wondering if 'the bear got them too!'. After stepping into view, David swooped both of you into a big hug and profusely stated that he was worried sick, and that the bears are probably very agitated. Neil looked between the two of you and raised an eyebrow. Nikki bounded over and asked if we had seen any bears. Nerris waved you over, and you turned to tell the rest of them goodbye. Max was already glaring again, but atleast it wasn't at you. Reaching Nerris, she began to talk about some spells she had to deflect bear attacks. You smiled and thanked her for the gesture. Glancing back, you noticed Max was staring. You smiled and gave him a wave with your good hand. He sneered, but it didn't really hurt you like it usually did. You were getting closer to him. And an easy camp life was just around the corner. You could only hope.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Camping</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Am I typing all of this out on a phone? Yes. I love u guys lol thanks for reading!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The next morning, you were enjoying your breakfast in the mess hall with Nerris and Space Kid. Nerris was rambling about how such low quality food would never fully restore the mana of such a high ranking wizard, and space kid was creating craters in his toast. Someone tapped on your shoulder, and you smiled and turned around. Nurf was standing horribly close, his eyes open enough to see, but still blue. You gasped, shrinking back towards the table as far as you could. The sound of a chair screeching across the floor caught everyone's attention. Max was standing, looking extremely tense, and kept glancing between you and Nurf. Recognizing who it was, Space Kid squeaked and shuffled over quickly. Nerris, however, instantly looked royally pissed off. She grabbed a pouch from her side, and gave a warning through clenched teeth. "Don't make me use this, Nurf. I was saving it for the bear. But it'll work on humans." You had no idea what she was talking about, and looked back toward the blueberry boy who was standing menacingly too close. He was frowning, choosing to speak after shuffling between his feet a few times. "I just wanted to say.." You prepared for the worst, and shut your eyes. "I'm sorry." You cracked one eye open, and looked at Nurf. His hands were clenched at his side, and he was looking down. "Well?! I said I'm SORRY!" You looked around the cafeteria. Everyone was in a state of shock, except for Max. He looked like he remembered something, and chose to sit back down. "I...." you mumbled out, unsure of what to say. His fists began to shake in anger, and you tensed up. "I accept your...apology?" Nurf looked as relieved as he could, and mumbled out a "oh thank god", before shuffling off towards the exit. David clapped twice, "Now isn't that better? A nice apology! Us campers gotta stick together!" You looked around in disbelief, hoping someone felt the same. Max's gaze was stuck fast on the door, and Neil looked like he was calculating something. Nerris tapped your shoulder, bringing you out of your stupor. You finished your breakfast in peace with your friends, and got ready for the task of the day. Camping.</p><p>The hike up to the campsite was taking a long time. A cough sounded from your left side, and you saw Neil marching along with you. "Hey," he started, "Did Nurf say anything else to you before he left?" You thought about it, and shook your head. "Not really...he only said "oh thank god" or something.... to himself?" Neil listened to you, his eyes calculating. You tried to ease the tension. "Why? You think there's something weird going on?" He blinked a couple of times and shook his head. "No, it's just..." he skipped over a rock, "It doesn't add up. Nurf never apologizes. Bears don't punch people, and Max doesn't suddenly say he-" "Suddenly say what?" You flipped toward the voice on your right. Max was looking nonchalant at Neil, who instantly clammed up. "A-actually... was that Nikki calling for me? I better run. Bye (Y/N)! Hehe!" Only a Neil shaped cloud of dust was left in the space beside you. You rose your eyebrows at Max, who only shrugged in response. "What? She probably found a cool rock or something." After glancing around quickly, he grabbed your hurt arm, careful not to touch the bruise. "It's...looking better." You could only nod, feeling stupefied by his behavior. He dropped it out of his hand and took long strides, catching up to David. Realizing he wasn't going to turn back around, you looked backwards, hoping to find Neil..and some answers. You spotted him at the back of the group, lingering behind to talk to Nurf. He tapped his finger on the underside of his chin in thought. They looked deep in conversation, so you thought it would be best to leave them alone. A cheerful shout rang out through the woods from an ecstatic David, and you knew the campsite was just up ahead. You looked back towards the front of the line and smiled. Nerris was waving at you, perched beside a campfire surrounded by logs. Picking up the pace, you jogged ahead. "Hey Nerris!" You cheerfully exclaimed, eager to see what she had to say about the sleeping arrangements. "Hello fair maiden! I hope the journey was not too harsh on you!" She slowly pulled out an uneaten cookie from one of her pouches and held it out to you. "If thou wishes, thou might want to replenish thyne energy using this special treat!" You laughed and took the cookie, thanking her for being so thoughtful. David cleared his throat and motioned for all of the kids to choose a log. "Alright my little campers! Go ahead and take a seat while we decide what goes where! Feel free to tell some stories!" You grimaced at the story idea, but chose to plop down in the middle of a log next to your friend. "Um...(Y/N)?" Nerris was tugging your sleeve quickly, desperately trying to get your attention. "Yeah, Nerris?" She gulped visibly. "Nurf is coming this way."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. No Seriously. What’s up?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Nerris is a CINNAMON ROLL. I will fight anyone who dares be to be rude.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Nurf lumbered forward like a half blind old man, taking cautious yet purposeful steps as he made his way over to you and Nerris. His face was deep set, full of determination. You felt a twinge of fear shoot through you. Did you do something else? Was the way you accepted the apology not good enough? You shot a look back at Nerris. Her hand was clutching the pouch she had previously threatened Nurf with, and her face held a glare. The other campers slowly stopped their idle chatter, choosing instead to stare at the tall boy as he made his way to you. Neil looked thoughtful, not a single ounce of fear or worry on his face. Nikki was bouncing, like always, full of pent up energy and excitement. Max was nowhere to be found. You flickered your eyes back towards the threat and found that he had already reached you. Sucking in a breath, you shook a little and cleared your throat. "Y..yes, Nurf? Are you...is everything..ok?" He softened visibly at your choice of words. "Is anyone sitting here?" Your mouth dropped open in shock, and the campers followed suit. You racked your brain for answers. No, you really really didn't want him to sit next to you. But what would happen if you denied his request? Images of broken bones flashed through your mind and you grimaced. He noticed your demeanor and bristled up, squaring his shoulders. You swallowed your fear and pride to croak out a gentle "No..", and scooted over ever so slightly to make room for him. His face cleared up, and he plopped down onto the log with an audible "thump!". Everyone slowly turned away from the scene, mostly bored with the fact that it didn't turn violent. Your eyes found Neil, and he blanched, his eyes focusing to something off in the distance. Nerris squeezed your good hand, offering condolences. Nurf looked absolutely pleased, and you might have imagined a rosy glow underneath the blue and newly yellowing bruises. David had made his way to the center, near the campfire, and his clear voice rang out. "Ah! I see everyone has chosen a log! That's wonderful! Anyone tell any stories? Hmm? Oh? Where's Max?" You felt Nurf bristle next to you, obviously not very ok with the name of his fellow camper. You felt bad for him. After all, you knew what it felt like to be afraid of someone. Wasn't everyone afraid of Max? Leaning over with all the bravery you had stored up, you whispered a quick "it's ok." to him. He snapped his head to look at you with a perplexed expression. "So you know...what happened?" Your eyebrows knit together. What was he talking about? Before you could answer, David spoke up again. "Ah! There he is!!! Welcome back, Max!" Max plopped down next to Neil, glaring deeply at his counselor and choosing to flip him off. If David noticed it, he didn't say anything. You glanced at Max, and your eyes met. Then, he flicked his eyes up and towards your seat companion. His face showed a look of genuine disgust and anger. Nurf noticed it, and began to shake. Neil elbowed Max, gaining his attention, and he slowly peeled his eyes away from your log. You turned slightly towards Nurf. "What happened? Why are you two like that?" He shook his head, and you guessed it was because Max was so close that he opted not to speak. You pieced two and two together.   Neil acting so weird before, and Nurf being afraid? Something was very wrong, and you needed answers.</p><p>After David called the meeting to and end, he let the camp know they had about 20 more minutes of daylight to use to set up their tents. Nerris cheered slightly, and gave a swig of her water that she "enchanted" to increase speed. Wanting to please her, you commented on how you definitely felt it working, and she glowed with pride. You both put up your tents very easily, and had about 10 more minutes to spare. You noticed Max's group was finished too. Nikkis tent fell in on itself, and Neil smacked a hand over his face. You giggled and told Nerris you were going to help them, since you could still feel the effects of the 'potion'. She cheered, a look of glowing pride etched on her face. You sucked in a breath of air on the way over, ready to call out to the pair and offer assistance, when a hand shot out from a tent and dragged you inside. You landed thankfully on your good hand, and scrambled to upright yourself to see who did it. "What the hell?!" Moving the hair out of your face, you gasped. "Max?!"</p>
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<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Answers Pt. 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Half of an update</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Wow split in two just like my fave dramas</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Max clamped a hand down over your mouth, hissing a hurried "be quiet!". Your eyebrows rose, and you reached up to yank his arm down. "Be quiet?! I want someone to hear me! They have to save me from a kidnapper apparently!" You were half teasing, but the anger and surprise still radiated out. His eyebrows knit together in confusion. "What?...Kidnapper? Save you?" While he was rambling, you were adjusting your legs to get into a more comfortable position. Max thought you were trying to get up to leave, and he grabbed your hand. Face bursting into a blush, you finished crossing your legs. He understood immediately what you were really trying to do, and ripped his arm back as if you burned him. "Is this a common thing around here? Stealing people?" He adjusted himself to sit more comfortably, and ignored your comment, choosing to instead reach slightly behind you to make sure the door was zipped. When he felt satisfied that no one would barge in, he slunk back a bit. "What did Nurf say to you?" You couldn't believe this was happening. "N-Nurf? You mean the apology thing? That's it. He just said he was sorry. You saw." He glared. Obviously this was the wrong answer. "You mean..on the log?" His eyes darted to the right, choosing instead to glare at the pillow. "He..he said he was.." you clammed up. Was this really something you could tell him? You chewed on your bottom lip. "Max.." his name came out softer than you expected, and his eyes shot right back up to your face. This time you were the one to look away. "Can I trust you?" Inside, you were cheering on saying it without chickening out. He shuffled in place, his hands clenched the fabric of the blanket he was perched on. You flexed your fingers out, feeling the fabric for yourself. It was soft. "You can." Freezing, you glanced back towards Max. He was staring directly at you, face composed and smooth. You felt the intensity of his declaration, and chose to trust him. After all, he did save you. "He said.. he said he was scared of you." A sudden rustling erupted behind you, in the form of a camper getting ready to enter the tent. </p><p>Max shot forward, hand pressing down on your lips as he positioned himself close enough to speak to the intruder. "Hey, fuck off." He snarled at the shadow, and it froze. "Go take my tent. Fucking loser." Your heart was beating so loud you knew he could hear it. If you two were caught like this, you would never live down the embarrassment. After what felt like an eternity, the figure sighed deeply and shuffled away. Max stayed perfectly still, until he remembered what he was doing. Snapping back, he wiped his hand on the blanket and sneered. "Great. What are we going to do now?" You balked. "We? You're the one who dragged me in here!" He scowled deeper, and spat "If you leave now, they'll see you. And they'll know I was in here from my voice." Your heart dropped into your stomach. "Wait. Wait wait wait. No." You knew it was true. David would stay on watch all night, and if you left the tent to go sleep in another, there would be too many questions. You desperately tried to think of a way out. "What if I say I had a bad dream? And wanted to sleep with Nerris?" Max rolled his eyes. "Yeah sure. Go ahead and try that. There's no way he would buy it this early. You'd have to wake up in the middle of the night. Which kinda defeats the purpose?" You were wearing out your bottom lip from all the nervous chewing, and racked your brain for more ideas. "What if we distracted him?" Max guffawed. "Yeah? Counselor Cocksucker? No way. He's got too much of a boner for "protecting the peace", he'd never fall for a lame distraction. Besides, what would you even do?" You slumped, clearly defeated. "Ok. How...how do you want to sleep?" He froze, slightly shivering. "Ew. Don't say it like that. Fucking weirdo. Here." He tossed you the pillow and began to shrug out of his hoodie. "Wait!" You clutched the pillow close. "What will you sleep on?" He tugged it successfully over his head and glared. "What does it look like, Captain Obvious? My fucking sweater." You felt guilty. "No, you can have the pillow. I'll take the sweater." He grimaced. "Stop being weird about it. Just take the pillow." You relented. "Ok. But atleast take the blanket." He looked ready to retort, so you quickly added that it would only be fair if he did it. He scoffed and plopped down into his sleeping position. You laid down softly and rolled onto your side towards the tent door. At least the pillow was comfy. You hoped Nerris wasn't worried about you. Taking a secret look towards Max, you saw that he was also laying on his side, facing you. His eyes were closed, and you don't know why you did it, but you found yourself turning over to face him. You wondered what Max would say if he saw what you did. Suddenly feeling quite tired, you closed your eyes and drifted off to sleep.</p>
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<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Answers Pt. 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Tent....tent....? At camp camp?</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The feeling of the log cutting into your back was unbearable. Max towered over you, machete in hand. The flames of the campfire cast shadows on his face, creating a frightening look. You raised your hands in a feeble attempt to protect yourself, and he chuckled darkly. Raising it high above his head to strike, Max paused slightly to deliver his line. "Just. Like. Nurf."</p><p>You shot upwards in the tent, heart going a million miles an hour. It was completely dark, the campfire long gone out and the sun yet to rise. You shifted your legs, trying to ease some of the energy and tension that was bundled up inside, but they were met with resistance. You fearfully patted your legs, and sighed with relief when you felt the warm recognizable fluff of the blanket. Wait, the blanket? Wasn't Max supposed to have this? "Fuck're you doing up?" You seized up, heart picking up speed again as you frantically looked around in the darkness. "M..Max?" You croaked out, fear apparent in the tone. Another second or two ticked by before the dark responded. "Who the fuck else?" You exhaled with relief, and he noticed. "What the hell is up your ass?" Face coloring at his choice of words, you relented. "I had a bad dream." You couldn't see him, but you just knew he was rolling his eyes. He chose not to respond, and the silence gave way to the sound of something crunching outside of the tent. You gasped, head turning sharply towards the sound, and scooted away from it. Max sighed heavily, with a hint of annoyance. "It's just David. He's doing patrol. Chill out." You blinked a couple of times. "Easy for you to say, you're not by the door." Max began muttering quickly, a string of "Jesus fucking Christ" and "holy fucking shit". It was muffled by the sound of moving, and you froze. The blanket next to your thigh suddenly depressed, and you realized he was probably switching sides with you. Your eyes were quickly adjusting to the darkness, and you picked your hand up slightly to move as well. Max growled, startlingly close. "Don't move." You froze in place, hand perched in the air. When he finished shuffling, you felt the weight disappear from your side and began to move again. Max reached out to grab his sweater pillow, fingers swiping across your stomach. You instantly squeaked at the intruding hand, unsure of what just tickled you. He jerked back, voice almost a hiss. "The fuck did you move for? Give me my fucking sweater." For the first time that night, fear gave way to another feeling. Annoyed, you tossed the pillow at his general vicinity. It hit its mark, and Max let out a tiny "oof" before growling again. "I said my fucking sweater. Are you deaf too?" You hissed back. "The deal was I get the pillow and you get the blanket!" There was a soft thud, and you suspected Max gave up and laid down. The tent grew eerily quiet again, and you reached out to find the sweater. After a while, your fingers entwined into a soft fabric, and you bundled it up. Laying it under your head, you turned on your side towards Max. You fumbled in your brain for ways to bring up what you wanted to say. You wanted to ask about Nurf. Max beat you to the punch. "What was your dream about...?" Pulling the blanket closer, you decided to tell him. "It was you. You....uh...you wanted to hurt me." He laughed, but it was hollow. "Is that really what you fucking think of me?" The question caught you off guard. Was it? You thought back to before, when he said you could trust him. You knew that you could, but there was just one thing eating your mind. "No!" It came out rushed, and you scrambled to continue. "No, I trust you! I just...it's just..." sighing, you swallowed. "It's Nurf..." Squeezing your eyes shut, you braced for whatever he was going to do. "You think I hurt him." It was more of a statement, a fact. Sighing at the lack of a response, he spoke again. "I didn't." You opened your eyes slowly, processing the information. "I didn't," he whispered. "But I wanted to." You swallowed, and finally responded. "Why?" Max only scoffed, and the shuffling of the tent told you that he was turning. "Max?" Your meek voice only a decibel higher. "Why did you give me the blanket?" You waited, but Max didn't say anything else. You closed your eyes again, and slept without issue.</p>
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<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Rise and Shine</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Groaning, you rolled over and swatted at whatever was shaking you. "Nooooo.. too early... five more...ten more minutes.." Something growled, and you felt a sharp pain like something bit your arm. You smacked your good hand over the possible wound and shot up. "Whasawha?... why'd you bite me?!" You peered through tired eyes and saw Max staring at you with a very annoyed expression. "Bite you? What kind of fucking freak do you think I am? I pinched you, dumbass. Get up. Unless you want the whole world knowing we slept in a tent together." The words felt like an ice bath and you pushed off the ground. Immediately wincing at the pain of your still sore wrist, you sucked in a sharp breath. Max swiped your arm up and instantly started nagging. It was too early to process what he was saying, so you grabbed his sweater and handed it over. He sighed and released your arm, choosing instead to shrug on the blue item over his head. You gingerly zipped the bottom of the tent door, peeking out a little to see if the coast was clear. It was, and you began to exit. </p><p>Stepping out into the air, you surveyed the camp. No one even bothered to spare you a glance, instead giving full attention to the food David was passing out. You whispered quickly behind you that it was clear, and headed over to the fire pit. David greeted you with the intensity of the sun, ushering into your hands a granola bar and an apple. "There's water over at my tent, (Y/N)! Feel free to go grab one! And good morning!" You smiled softly and nodded, and went to go get water. You found the pack, and bent down to get some. Someone cleared their throat, and you grabbed a bottle and turned to say hello. It was Nurf, looking extra uncharacteristically sheepish but still blue, albeit a little lighter. "Good morning (Y/N)..." You nodded and gave a simple greeting back, ready to head towards the logs, when he spoke again. "I was wondering if you...if you'd like to.." He began to shine underneath the sun, sweat slowly forming into beads on his face. You coughed lightly. "If I'd?.." He grimaced inwardly, and cleared his throat. "If you'd like to...maybe..on the hike today...if you wanted to..?" He raised the tone at the end, insinuating a question, but you had no idea what he was asking. "There's a hike today?" He nodded dumbly, and reached into his back pocket. "I swiped this map from David... if you want..we don't have to..well...we could.." The map certainly looked like David's, the outer rim full of doodles. A cough made the two of you jump, and Max came into view. "Stealing, Nurf?" He grumbled, grabbing a water bottle and popping the cap off. Nurf began to shake, the sweat fully beading and sliding down his face. "I'll...(Y/N). I'll talk to you later. Ok?" He was slowly backing off, face scrunched up in fear. You felt like you owned a rabid dog, one you just threatened to sic on him. You nodded again, and he turned fully to briskly walk away. "Was he seriously asking you to go on a hike with him? Gross." You blinked. Max slid into the spot next to you and took a swig. "Oh my god, was that what he was going to do?" You grimaced. Sitting next to Nurf is one thing. But totally alone with him? God, no. You shuddered and took a bite of granola. It was dry. You watched as he sat down on a log with two spaces on either side. Knowing if you went over there, he would force you somehow to sit next to him. Max seemed to read your mind. "You know that fat freak is gonna ask you to sit next to his slimy ass, right?" You nodded, tossing the wrapper into David's pack. "Do you want to?" You balked, staring at Max with an unreadable expression of confusion. "No?" He seemed to mull it over for a few seconds, chewing slowly. "Then I guess you better stick with me during the hike."</p>
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<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Really?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>You couldn't help but laugh, doubled over like it was the funniest thing in the world. Max scowled and shoved one hand into his hoodie pocket. "Yeah? Fuck you too then. The offers off the table." You stood up in a flash. "Wait, you were serious?" He took a step forward towards the logs. "Wait!" You grabbed his arm. "I accept! I accept...ok?" He looked shocked that you agreed, even though he was the one to offer in the first place. Stepping back into place, he took another swig of his water. You felt compelled to thank him. "Thanks, Max." He scoffed. "Whatever.  You'd definitely die if I didn't offer. Your second day was a real fuckin' show." You blushed, and he took off towards the campfire again. You jogged to catch up, stuttering out a "I had a floatie!"</p><p>Neil was seated alone at one of the logs, and Max plopped down next to him. "Where's Nikki?" Neil shook his head. "Space kid said he found a meteorite, so she's inspecting it to see if there's any 'alien lifeforms'." He said the last part with such distaste, and Max looked over to give you an 'I told you so' kind of look. Noticing you were still standing, he gave you a glare. "What? Don't know how to swim or sit?" You blushed, hurrying to situate yourself. Neil glanced between the two of you and raised his eyebrow. "What's with you two? Suddenly buddy-buddy?" Max barked a laugh. "As if! She begged for protection from Nurf." You blushed harder. What a crock of shit! This liar... Neil bought it. "Yeah, hes been acting really weird lately. Even sat by them and everything. Ew. If Nurf ever takes interest in me, be sure to erase my hard drives after I kill him." You laughed at that, and Neil gave you a smile. Max spoke up. "Yeah? Well just look at what the loser is doing now." You quickly peeked, not trying to let Nurf know you were looking, and saw he looked heartbrokenly angry. Neil gulped. "Dude, I really don't think he likes you right now." Before Max could reply, David piped up. "Has anyone seen a map? I think I dropped it this morning!" You looked around innocently. Nurf waved at you, trying to catch your eye. When it worked, he smiled and patted his pants pocket. You cringed, smiling softly and adverted your gaze back towards the counselor. David looked crestfallen. "If I can't find that map, we won't be able to go on the hike. It's too dangerous to stray from the path, campers! After all, there's bears!" As if on cue, everyone turned to look at Nurf. He blushed, even visible underneath his bruises, and glared back. David clapped twice. "So that settles it! Everyone, let's do a quick scavenger hunt! First one to find the map gets to lead the hike!" Dolph cheered, he seemed really keen on leading stuff for some reason. Everyone leapt up, eager to get it over with. Nurf stood, glancing between the three of you. He seemed to be weighing his options. Max noticed, and stood, gesturing for you to come. You set your unfinished apple down and hopped up, hoping you were quick enough. You weren't. </p><p>Nurf tapped your shoulder twice, and your face scrunched. Crap. Smoothing it out, you sheepishly turned around. Nurf tilted his head to the side, asking you non verbally to scoot away from Max. You stood stuck fast, not sure of what to do. Nurf was growing impatient, and he grabbed your hurt hand and gave a tug. You winced, giving out a small cry as tears pricked your eyes. "Nurf." The tugging instantly stopped, and your wrist cheered as it was released. You brought it close, holding it away from any future harm. Nurf looked torn, obviously wanting to run and simultaneously stay with you. Max stepped in front of you slowly, easing himself between you and the map thief. "Didn't I tell you the first time? Stay the fuck away from her." Nurf's face twisted, anger enveloping his features. "Shut the fuck up, Max. I'm not scared of you anymore. You should be the one staying away! You're a psychotic little freak!" You paled, feeling both afraid and guilty that Max was in this situation. "M-max.. it's fine." If he heard you, he didn't care. "Oh yeah? Feeling big and tough now that your bruises are turning yellow?" He grasped the front of Nurf's shirt, yanking him down to his eye level. Nurf struggled in his grasp, and it dawned on you that either Max was stronger than he looked, or Nurf wasn't really trying to escape. You knew it wasn't the latter. "Let me say it nice and slow so you finally fucking get it. If I see you anywhere near them, I will rip your fucking eyes out. So get used to the way it felt when your shit stained eyes were swollen shut." After spitting the last sentence out, Max pushed. Nurf hit the dirt with a solid WHAP, the map halfway sticking out of his pocket. "Oh look what we have here," Max sneered, ducking down and snagging the stolen parchment from Nurf. "Looks like I'm the leader." Turning to you, he waved his prize between two fingers. "(Y/N). Let's go."</p>
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<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Dog Eat Dog</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Eek! NURF!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>You snapped your head quickly between Max and Nurf, feeling guilty that he ended up on the ground. Max barked out your name like a command, and you instantly jerked, jogging to catch up with him. He was leading you towards the woods, expertly weaving between the roots and fallen branches. You felt the tip of your shoe catch on a couple of rocks, but luckily nothing tripped you up. Max stopped a few steps away from an extra large log, and whipped out the map. Trying to peek over his shoulder, you thought you could make out the shape of a drawn in log, meaning you were on the right path. "Is that where we're supposed to be?" Max flinched hard, jerking his arms and dropping the map. "Jesus fuck! Holy shit, (Y/N)! Personal fucking space?!" You rolled your eyes, already used to the verbal abuse. He rubbed the back of his neck harshly, and stooped down to retrieve the paper. "Soooo..." you trailed off. "We're not going to return the map?" He didn't respond, only pulled it closer as if it would help him read it. Finally, he scowled and shook his head. "Yeah. That's the first thing on my bucket list, retard. Spend the day hiking with Captain Cocksucker and his goon squad. Pass." Finality was apparent in his tone, so you decided to drop it. But not before asking, "So hiking with me is ok?" He gave you a look of absolute disgust. "I will leave you here to die if you ever say that again." For some reason, it didn't sound as harsh as you were used to. Trying your luck, you pressed on. "Should've killed me in the tent, then." He whipped around seething, and grabbed a fistful of your shirt. Your eyes grew wide, and a shiver of fear tickled down the back of your spine. Fear, and something else. Something else that made your cheeks heat up. You adverted your gaze, and he dropped the fabric out of his firm grip. "God, you're a fucking weirdo." You glanced back, and he was kicking a rock out of the way, the tips of his ears tinged red. You felt bad for teasing him, and offered a real apology. "Hey. I'm sorry for teasing you.." he scoffed, shoving the map into your arms. "If you're sorry, then read it. I want to go to the secret cave." You felt a twinge of annoyance surface, and you pushed it back down before you could tease him more about not being able to read a map. Giving it a once over, it looked pretty simple, but you'd never read a map before. "Yeah, uh. I can't read this." You spun in place, surveying the forest for any discernible markers. He laughed, obviously making fun of you, and your cheats heated up again. "F-fine! I'll try!" You squinted, bringing it fully up to your face, and took a step forward. "I just have to get to the stupid cave, right?" You peeked over the top at the large log. "This is.. this has to be this log in the map that David drew. Unless...it's a twig?" You glanced behind you, and Max was surprisingly following obediently, eyes focused on a far off point. You noticed his ears were still red. Maybe he was still upset with you about the teasing? Whatever, you thought. Gotta focus. Bringing the map back up, you began moving forward on the apparent trail that was etched into the surface. Starting to feel confident after about a minute of successful venturing, you picked up the pace. There was another marker on the map, it looked like a twig. You brought the map back down, and when there was no twig, brought it back up. It must be down further, you thought. Max's voice cut through the soft ambient sounds of the forest. "Hey! Idiot!" You felt the earth suddenly cut off under your left foot, and gasped. You slid further down, picking up speed. The map flew up and out of your hands, and you realized instantly that it wasn't a twig. It was a ravine.</p><p>A sharp rock in the ravine side cut slightly into your leg, and you cried out. Sliding, you tried to turn your body in order to try and grab on to the side, but gravity was not your friend. The bottom of the ravine was approaching fast, and your survival instincts kicked into overdrive. Body getting ready to hit the bottom, you curled up into a fetal position, hoping to cushion the blow into your femur instead of your ankles. It worked, but it still hurt like nothing you ever felt before. There was a deep gash on your left calf, but you couldn't feel it. Not yet, the shock would keep all pain at bay until you calmed down. In the precious seconds you still had of painless bliss, you struggled to get up. You had to know if anything was broken. Luckily, you could stand, and even limp a few paces, before you fell back on your arms. Your bad wrist throbbed, and you knew the shock was wearing off. You looked up, and locked eyes with Max. He wore a look of pure horror, and you realized it was one of the only times you saw him without anger being the predominant emotion. He looked...cute. The fall must have messed with your head. The gash started to burn, starting at first as a light tingle. You frantically flipped over, hurrying to inspect it. Blood was seeping out, a steady stream of your life force quenching the ground of the river bed. You looked back upwards, finding Max still perched at the edge. "(Y/N)!" You coughed a bit before responding. "Yeah?" He looked pained, and extremely conflicted. "Do you trust me?" What? You couldn't really hear him. "What?" He scowled. "I said do you trust me!" You felt lightheaded. "S...sure!" He groaned, and swore. "Fuck! Ok fuck! You need to stay there, ok?! Don't fucking move! I mean it, (Y/N)! Don't fucking move a muscle! I have to get help! Stay! There! FUCK!" You watched as Max swore one more time before disappearing out of sight. You shivered, feeling cold and very tired. You wanted to drag yourself to the shade, but Max said not to move. Or maybe he said "You made the wrong move"? Or maybe he...you couldn't think. It was too much. Laying down, you closed your eyes. "I trust you..Max."</p>
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<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Is This Real?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>You awoke the slowest you ever had, vision completely blurry and limbs numb. You felt like a phone that had dropped into a toilet. 'Am I dead?' You tried to pry your arms off the ravine base, but could only elicit a feeble twitch. You were tired, hungry, and so very thirsty. Your tongue felt like lead, completely filling your mouth and dry as a bone. Giving up, you closed your eyes again. The sun was directly overhead, and for once you were grateful. Thoughts began to surface slowly out of the fog. 'Who was supposed to come get me?'....'Was I supposed to do something?'. You breathed deep, tingles running up and down your limbs as your nerves starting turning on. Pain was slowly ebbing from your leg, and you moaned. Unsurprisingly, the sound only came out as a small croak. Body working in overdrive to replenish the blood you lost left you extremely dehydrated. Staying in the heat of the sun also did not help. Your leg felt hot by the calf, and you attempted to sit up again. Thankfully the fog had almost cleared from your vision, and you slowly pushed upwards. Your bad wrist gave no complaints, and you knew it was because the pain in your leg was overpowering it. Blinking back tears, you steeled yourself. 'Don't cry, you've lost enough water. Take it nice and slow.' Once you were propped up, you began to survey the damage. Rolling it slightly, you winced as your leg pulled away from the earth it was stuck to, the dried blood acting like a horrific glue. The gash was deep, thankfully no longer bleeding. The dirt around it was dyed a dark brown, signifying the blood had long since oxidized and dried. Unfortunately, that wasn't a very good indicator of how long you were down there for. You chuckled feebly thinking about what Max would say. Probably something like 'What the fuck?! Dipshit! I told you not to move!' You smiled and responded. "Sorry Max, I forgot." Blinking, you numbly tried to focus. "What the fuck? Have you fucking lost it?" You twitched and smiled wide, eyes closing and basking. "Wow Max, that sounded so real. Like...so real." "Oh my fuck. HEY MORON, DONT FUCKING MOVE AN INCH." You giggled. "Okie dokie Max. You're so nice...thanks for staying with me." You rambled on, talking with Max. "Max, my leg really hurts. And my tongue feels like sandpaper. And I never said thank you for saving me from the lake. Or did I?...Thanks for protecting me too. And thanks for the sweater. And thanks for the blanket. And-" Max cut you off. "SHUT THE FUCK UP OR IM NOT GOING TO SAVE YOUR ASS. I FUCKING MEAN IT!!!" You frowned. That sounded a little too real. Cracking open an eye, you glanced at the top of the ridge. Max was perched over it, face locked into a scowl and red all over. You gasped. "Max!" You tried to yell, but your throat closed up and forced a coughing fit. David's voice piped up, and his head peeked over the edge. "Oh my stars! Don't worry (Y/N)! We'll get you out of there in a jiffy!" You groaned, and tried to lay back down. "STOP FUCKING MOVING!" You ignored him, laying back until you were fully on the ground. He was slinging out a string of curses, but you tuned him out. The fuzzy feeling was creeping back slowly, and it took all of your power not to sleep again. "Max, I'm getting sleepy again..sorry.." You said it as loud as you could and took a deep breath, fighting the urge to pass out. "Shit. Shitshitshit. (Y/N), DONT fucking fall asleep, okay?! Hey! HEY!" But it was too much, and the darkness overcame you swiftly. Sleep welcomed you back, and you graciously accepted the offer.</p><p>"N.....(Y/N)....(Y/N)!!" You groaned, and tried to get up, but something was stopping you. "Ah Ah, little camper! That was quite the nasty fall! You're going to have to rest while you-...one sec! Looks like someone wants to see you!" There was the sound of a chair scooting, and a door clicking open. "Get the fuck out." This voice was different, and although both were familiar, you preferred the vulgar one. It sounded like Max. "Ma.." you tried to say his name, but your throat felt like barbed wire. Coughing softly, you groaned again. The chipper voice piped up. "I've got some water right here for you, (Y/N)!" The angrier voice spoke as well. "I said, get the fuck out David." Ah. So it was David. Your counselor was unphased, only speaking again to detail what pain meds were ok to give out. The doorknob clicked, and the door creaked from years of use. You peeled your eyes open, noticing the lack of a fuzzy border immediately. You also noticed the distinct lack of pain, although your leg still throbbed slightly. "You just gonna sit there with a dopey ass grin on your face, or are you gonna drink this water?" Max stood just in your peripheral, and you nodded. Water sounded so good right now. You took large gulps, not caring how you looked, and Max grimaced. You smiled and handed the newly empty glass back, and he complied, placing it gingerly on the desk you hadn't noticed before. "How did I get back?" You sounded out each word like it was a vocal test, and grinned when it came back clear. He rolled his eyes, pulling up a chair to your bedside and sitting in it backwards. "What do you fucking think? I'm tired." You mulled it over, shrugging after a few moments of unfruitful thinking. Max crossed his arms over the bedside and placed his chin on them. "You're fucking heavy."</p>
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<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Split Decision</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I, too, hide behind jokes sometimes.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>A deep blush broke out over your cheeks, and your face fell into an embarrassed glare. He chuckled darkly at your obvious discomfort, and turned his head to lay more comfortably. "You did NOT carry me. You're way too weak!" Pouting, you huffed and turned your head away. Max growled, and pinched your thigh through the blanket. You yelped, and he laughed again. "See what I care the next time your dumbass falls down a slope." You huffed and pinched his arm in retaliation. His brows furrowed in annoyance, and tried to pinch you again. You instinctively jerked the nearest leg away, and sucked in a breath when pain shot up your body. "Shit! Shit I'm sorry. You okay?" You nodded, tears nestled into tiny pinpricks in the corner. "It was my fault, I pinched back." Sighing, he buried his face into his arms. "....get hurt." You blinked. "Huh?" He brought his face up a millimeter and spoke again. "You always get hurt." You laughed and his face dusted a light pink, or at least you think it did. He shoved his face back into his arms and groaned. You reached a hand out, but brought it back slightly. "It's... it's ok. It's not even a bad thing." He looked back up, pure disgust on his face. "You fucking kidding me? Get it through your head. You need to go home." Your heart jumped up into your throat. "W...what?" He scowled, looking away. "I'll force you. I'll find your fucking file and tell your parents to come get you. I'll pretend to be David or some shit. You need to get the fuck out of here." You couldn't believe what you were hearing, choosing not to respond at all out of shock. Heart racing, you felt the tears start to come back. His frown softened, but still remained. "You really need to fuc....to go." You furiously wiped the stray tear before it could fall. "I don't want to." The fabric of the blanket bundled up under Max's intense grip. "You're kidding me, right? Haven't even been here a week and you fucking almost die for the SECOND time in a row. You're a fucking moron and I'm tired of saving you!" His voice was slowly edging up, and you flinched back. Your voice came out in a warble, "This place is better than back home." He jerked his head toward your face, and you averted your gaze, watery eyes trained on the corner of the room. The chair protested as it slid across the floor, making you flinch. "The fuck are you talking about?" You turned away more, tracing the bumps of the wall like a cheap connect the dots at a diner. "I..said what I said. I meant it. This place is heaven compared to...to..yeah. I almost drowned but..you saved me. You know my name." A fat blob of a tear plopped on the blanket, and you secretively placed your hand over the wet stain. Max scoffed, and it stabbed your heart. "Fuck this. Fuck all of this. You're fucking insane if you think this shit hole is a great place. Fuck you, (Y/N). Fuck you to fucking hell. I'm done." Your shoulders shook as you fought the sobs back. The door slammed, and you knew he left. You suddenly remembered you had to breathe, a pitiful excuse of a breath at that. Shaking, you sobbed and pulled the blankets up and to your face. Slinking down, you buried your face into them and cried. 15 minutes later, a knock sounded on the door. "Go away!" You croaked out, really not looking forward to having anyone see you like this. The door never opened, so you figured they got the hint. Unfortunately, a minute later, it did. David cleared his throat. "Heya, (Y/N)! I brought you some..." he noticed your face immediately, and gasped. Luckily he thought it was from the pain, and he quickly administered a dose of meds. "There we go! I brought you some pie, if you're hungry. I made it myself! I hope you like...." he pondered over the flavor, even though he was the one to make the dish. It made you laugh, and he smiled. "Well, I think it's blueberry. But you look like you need your rest! I'll refill the water and leave it by your bed so you can drink it when you need! Goodnight, (Y/N). Sweet dreams, okay? Feel better soon!" He did as he said, and when you were freshly tucked into bed, left as quickly as he came. You eyed the pie, but instantly felt nauseous at the thought of eating. Sighing, you closed your eyes. Willing the thoughts of Max out proved fruitless, and the last thing you thought before sleeping was the hope that he didn't stay true to his word. This place really was better than your house.</p>
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<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Tell the Truth</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I’m cringing everytime I type the word “You”</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>You blinked, the sun was hitting your eyes like it did the first time you stayed in the medical cabin. Sighing, you turned to look at the wall. "Max, you're so stupid." Sniffling, you tugged on the covers to bring them up over your head. Meeting resistance, you pulled them back down and glanced around. Max was laying halfway down, fast asleep and covered with a blanket, weighing down the side of your own covers. Stunned, you brought your hand to shake him awake. He grumbled, and you shook harder. Seeing that he wasn't going to wake up, you furrowed your brow and brought a hand to his hair, ready to pull it and wake him up. It was surprisingly soft, and you started playing with it instead of yanking on it. Max sighed deep, leaning into your touch. Face burning, you pulled the hand back and cleared your throat. His eyes fluttered slightly, and then began to open slowly. "(Y/N)?" You rolled your eyes. "Yeah, it's me." What's with this guy? Wasn't he done with you? "F'course it's you, dumbass." He still cussed, even half asleep. He seemed to wake up a little bit more, and shot up. "(Y/N)!?" You stared back, completely dumbfounded. "YEAH? Of course it's me? You're the one who came into MY room." He seemed to ponder it for a moment, and jolted as if he remembered something. "I didn't call them." You blinked, and couldn't help the feeling of relief spread that spread through you. "You...didnt?" He glared at the blanket. "Oh what, you're deaf too? Stupid asshole. I said I didn't call them." Sighing, you turned fully towards him. "Thanks, I guess." He bristled at the defensive tone. "Okay. Okay I get it." You scoffed, and Max rubbed the back of his neck. "I...I'm sorry. Okay? Shit is about to get real fucking deep here, so stay with me." He was met with silence. "I saw your file. It's.... your parents don't care either, huh? Isn't that fucked up?" Wait, either? You shuffled a bit, the pressure on your leg a bit annoying. He looked away, ears the only indication that he was embarrassed. "I really was gonna call them. I fuckin was. But I saw it and..." You looked away, processing what you could. "It looked like mine and shit. So I didn't call. That's it." Thinking it over, you turned back. "So sleeping here was what...an apology for what you said?" His eyebrows furrowed in surprise. "What? No. That...." His ears darkened. "Yeah. Whatever. It's an apology. You taking it or not?" Sighing, you agreed. A loud bang of a knock filled the room, and you jumped. "Fuck off!" Max called, and the intruder left. "Have you been doing that all..." you glanced out the window, freezing in shock when you saw the sun was going down. "All day?" He nodded briskly, not bothering to say a verbal response. You sighed, feeling a bit bad. "I'm ok, Max. You don't have to stay." He glared. "Shut the fuck up." You both left it at that, and an uncomfortable silence filled the room. Grimacing slightly as your adjusted, you scooted over and pulled the covers up and around you. "Come on. If you're not gonna leave, you might as well sleep comfortable." He glared, cussing. "Fuck off, no one would ever do that." You rolled your eyes, really used to the way he was now. "Shut up, Max. Just come on. We slept closer in the tent." He stood abruptly, looking torn between leaving and complying. He placed one knee on the bed, and slowly applied pressure. You laughed, "Wow, you're making this a lot more awkward." He pulled back. "Okay, fuck you. I'm not doing this." You laughed harder. "Shut up, Max! And hurry up." He scowled, but complied. The mattress creaked underneath the both of you as he settled in, and you yawned. "You're seriously still tired?" You nodded, and he finished pulling his blanket up and around him. Part of you was shocked to see that he chose to face you, but part of you wasn't. You felt close to Max, even closer now that he opened up to you, and connected through similar home stuff. He looked everywhere but your face, choosing to instead probably count the seconds. You yawned again, and he rolled his eyes. "Just fucking sleep." You finished yawning, and snuggled deeper into the covers. "You first." He rolled them again. "You know, you've been getting real lippy lately. It's insufferable. Learn how to act, bitch." You laughed. "Wow Max, and here I was just liking the way you were. Remind me tomorrow to start hating you." His face broke out into a deep blush. "You don't fucking mean that. Shut up and go the fuck to sleep." You opened your mouth wide, too wide to speak, in a teasing way. He smacked his hand over it, and you laughed, the sound muffled by his fingers. His hand slunk away, resting palm up right underneath the crack where both of your pillows met. You locked eyes, and noticed he was smiling. "Okay, you win. I'll sleep." He breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh thank GOD."  You smiled back, brought your hand up, and laced your finger with his in a mock pinky swear. "I promise!" You expected him to yank his hand back and say something about you having disgusting germs, but he didn't. You blushed, and was about to remove your hand, but his pinky moved. Flexing slightly, he curled it around tight. Smiling softly, you curled yours back. "Night, Max." His pinky twitched. "Shut the fuck up, (Y/N).</p>
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<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Arts and Crafts</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I literally would die for a friend like Nerris!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>You awoke the next day feeling a lot better, your tongue the proper size and no longer dry. Max was gone, the only indication of him sleeping next to you being your hand still palm up next to the pillow. His blanket was strewn over yours, keeping your legs extra warm and comfortable. You mentally thanked him and tried to sit up. A sharp pain shot up your leg, and you frowned, knowing it meant you still had to rest. David must have foreseen this, because on the bedside table laid a dosage of pain pills, water, and a package of s’mores poptarts. You nibbled gently on your breakfast and pondered on what to do all day. While you were normally happy to lounge whenever you got the chance, you were beginning to feel cooped up. A knock brought you back to attention, and you meekly allowed them to enter. It was Nerris! You smiled and cheered, and began to bounce slightly in excitement when she showed you what she brought. “Salutations, fair maiden! It is your humble friend, Sir Nerris! I knowest thou art resting, but I have a favor to ask..” She brandished the bag of art materials from behind her back and smiled sheepishly. “Wouldst thou like to join me in the art of crafts this day?” You smiled and nodded with fervor, offering your friend the second poptart. She accepted, and you both ate breakfast together. When you finished, she handed you the pain medicine and water. “Thou must keep thyne pain at bay, my friend!” You laughed and agreed, taking the dosage and drinking the water. You felt so blessed to have a friend like Nerris. She was so kind and fun, not to mention funny! Nerris placed a poster gingerly over your thighs, careful not to disturb your injury. “I received a parcel of merriments from my parents today! And I wouldst be honored if my friend would help me add designs to my scrolls of wisdom!” She dug around in her bag until she grew annoyed, drawing out her hand and muttering a spell. It must have worked, because she only took two seconds of searching to find the tubes of glitter. She also brought out a bag of markers, and a glue stick. Unfurling a dingy looking piece of paper, she pointed out where she was hoping you would draw some relative designs. “This scroll is very powerful. It contains a very potent ice spell!” You nodded and thought of what to draw. Settling on snowflakes, which are easy enough, and a snowman. It was pretty fun, and before you knew it, all the scrolls were finished. Nerris was over the moon, cheering and hugging you. You thanked her for spending time with you and giving you something to do, and she gave you one last final hug before gathering her things and heading to lunch. 

Your stomach grumbled, and as if on cue, David arrived with your own lunch. You smiled and said thank you, and asked what everyone was doing today. He was happy to talk, and explained that today was a free day. He began to list what every camper was doing, and you noticed he skipped over Max. You began to fidget, and when he was done, asked what Max was doing today. He concentrated, thinking it over. “Actually, now that you mention it..” The counselor’s face paled. “Oh my stars! I haven’t seen him all day!” As if he was in a race, David was out the door. You blinked slowly. “Ooooookay?” You said to no one but yourself. 

Finishing your meal, you glanced back down at your hands. Glitter was sticking to them, and you grimaced. ‘I seriously need a shower. But what about my leg?’ You glanced around, looking for anything that could help you. A pair of crutches was propped up on the other side of the room, and you sighed. Determined, you first pulled the blankets up and off of your legs. ‘If it looks too bad, I won’t get them.’ Grimacing, you braced yourself for a horrible sight. Your leg was red around the cut, and you counted fifteen stitches. Tenderly, you poked around the cut. It throbbed, but otherwise didn’t protest that much. You sighed with relief and bent over, grabbing your ankle and pulling upwards. Your wound was annoyed, but you continued until you dropped your leg off the side of the bed. Sucking in a breath of pain, you looked for any indication that you had ripped a stitch. Everything was fine, so you slowly pushed off the bed and stood up. The pain would have been horrible, but the medicine was thankfully dulling it to a manageable level. You quickly limped over to the crutches, not wanting to test it anymore. Slipping them under your armpits, you formed a game plan. ‘First, cabin. Gotta get a change of clothes. Next, showers!’ You gingerly took a step forward, and brought the crutches with you. It was a lot harder than people made it look, your armpits already protesting about the odd weight. You took a couple laps around the room, adjusting your stance to properly walk. Feeling confident, you exited the medical cabin. You fixed your gaze downward, mentally preparing to go down the stairs. “What the FUCK are you doing?”</p>
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<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Helping Hand</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Why is he soooo helpful?!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>You froze, your good leg poised to take the first step. Bringing it slowly back, you looked up. “Hey Max.” He looked royally pissed off. “Hey? Fuck your ‘Hey’. What the fuck are you doing out of bed?” You positioned the crutches to give your hand freedom and showed him the glitter. “I’m sweaty and covered in glitter. I seriously need a shower.” He scoffed, taking a step forward in an attempt to corral you back inside. “No! I’ve got this. I’m fine, for real!” He paused. “Ugh! You got glitter on me! What the fuck!” You blushed, annoyed. “Of course I did! I’m covered! Let me go shower.” Shaking out his blue hoodie, you took the chance to take a step down the stairs. “Hey! Hold the fuck on!” You pressed onward, not bothering to hear anything else. You finally planted your feet on the ground at the bottom of the steps, and a crutch fell from your arm as Max grabbed your elbow. It clattered to the dirt, and you huffed. “Max! Come on! I need that!” He grabbed it off of the ground, and glared. “Fuck off! You’re not supposed to be walking on that! Do you just LIKE being annoying? Get back inside!” You glared back, and attempted to walk with one crutch. He sighed deep and held you back. “Fine. If you really want to, even though it’s a stupid idea, I’ll help.” You rolled your eyes. “You don’t HAVE to help. I’ve got it.” He refused to let go. “Are you kidding? Yeah. Fuck off. You’re so stupid you’d probably drown in the shower. Hop on my back.” You blushed, still glaring, and shook your head no. “No! It’ll hurt my cut if I move like that.” He pondered it for a bit, his face slowly breaking out into a blush. “It’s fine, retard. I can just do it like...” You squealed as Max brought his arms underneath the backs of your knees, and yanked. You fell back, his other arm catching you, and he lifted you up and into his chest. He refused to stare at you, choosing instead to kick the crutches out of the way and walking towards the showers. “Wait! I need my stuff from my cabin!” Max didn’t say anything, but veered left towards where you were staying. Glancing up, you noticed his face was red. “Sorry, Max. I know I’m heavy.” His pace faltered for a split second. “What? You’re not fucking heavy.” You blinked. “But that’s not what you said when-“ He cut you off, ordering you to shut up. You complied, and soon you both arrived to your living quarters. Placing you down on the steps, he shook the glitter off the front of his jacket and asked you what clothes he should bring back. You thought about it, and ended up choosing a T-shirt and shorts. He nodded, and took off inside. You propped back against the step, breathing deep and appreciating being outside again. Max brought you out of the moment by dropping clothes into your lap. “Hey moron, lean forward.” You bent forward, and his arms returned to the spot they were at before. Soon you were back in the air and cradled, and he took off towards the showers. Setting you down on the floor of one shower, he angled your leg out of the way and adjusted the shower head. You sat stunned, unable how to process the act of kindness. He said nothing, only stopping to place the shampoo and soap next to you before stepping back and leaving. </p><p>The shower felt like heaven. And a little bit of hell. The wound was upset from the steam, even though you did your best to not let any water touch it. You struggled to turn the water off when you were done, but eventually got it. Scooting back, you let the water drain and grabbed the corner of the towel that was hanging over the shower rod. After sufficiently drying off, you put on the shirt and scooted out of the shower. Laying down, you carefully pulled on your undergarments and shorts. Bundling up the clothes, you propped up against the wall and called for Max. He ducked inside, and made a comment about the glitter not fully being gone before scooping down to pick you up again. You felt tired after working that hard just to shower, and leaned against his shoulder. “You’re getting my fucking sweater wet.” You sighed and adjusted. And he yanked back, forcing your head back into his chest. “Just fucking stop moving. Stay there.” You smiled and closed your eyes, air chilly against your dampened skin. Back in the medical cabin, he placed you back on the bed and you pulled the blankets back over you. “You’re fucking welcome.” You laughed, and swatted his arm. “Yes, thank you my knight.” He grimaced. “You hang out with Nerris too much. You’re starting to talk like her.” You laughed harder.<br/>“Wouldst thou like me to speak like her more? I find it very charming.” He groaned, holding his stomach in mock pain. The dinner bell sounded, and he walked towards the door. “Later, (Y/N). You waved, thankful for the help. “Bye, Max! Thank you so much!” He muttered out a “Yeah, yeah whatever.”, and you were alone once again.</p>
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<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Routine</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Max is seriously so clingy... can someone say<br/>ABANDONMENT ISSUES? :( me too babes.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Max has ideas for the daily routine he wants. :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The medical cabin was blissfully quiet, and you decided to get some rest. You were almost asleep, when someone barged into the room. "Hey moron, what are you doing?" You groaned, forcing your eyes back open. Max held two trays of food and a scowl on his face. "Wake up. David told me to bring you dinner." You muttered a soft thanks and took the tray from one hand, placing it on your lap. Max plopped down into the chair, and set his tray on the bed. Still sleepy, you stared dumbly at him. "Fuck're looking at? Eat." He didn't have to tell you twice, and you began to nibble on the roll. Rolling his eyes, he focused fully on his own meal. Pretty soon you were full, and you laid back down, bringing the covers close. Scoffing, Max grabbed the tray and took of towards the door. You remembered to say thank you this time, and he grumbled before leaving. </p><p>The click of the door brought you out of sleep. You kept your eyes closed, using only your ears to decipher who it could be. The pills rattled slightly, and you realized the leg was throbbing. You had accidentally rolled over onto the stitches in your sleep. Someone tsk'd, and you jolted slightly when fingers touched your leg. They immediately disappeared, but gently returned after you kept pretending to still be asleep. Ever so slowly, your leg was picked up and moved. When they finished placing it down, you heard the clink of a glass being set onto the desk. The fingers returned to your shoulder as they shook you "awake". You feigned sleepiness, mumbling out "..David?" When you fully opened your eyes, Max was glaring. "Want me to go get Counselor Cocksucker? Apparently you need him." You blushed like mad, and huffed. "Ugh. Don't be like that. I'm much happier it's you." You saw that he had one hand clutched upwards, and you commented on it. "What's in there?" As if remembering he had them, he opened his palm wide. "It's ... your pain meds." Reaching for them, Max waited until you had just grasped the edge of one before yanking his hand back. Your fingertips caught on his, and you fell forward slightly. Smacking a palm into his chest to steady yourself, you glared as the pills dropped to the floor. "What was that for?!" He seemed shell shocked, and you worried that you hit him too hard. "I... " He chose not to finish the answer, and instead stooped down to retrieve the medicine. You took it without another incident, and drank half of the water. Max still had such an odd look on his face, but you were afraid to talk about it. However, he was your friend. Or was it guardian? Or maybe....you blushed and chose not to finish that train of thought.  He stood like a statue, watching you while you fixated yourself back into bed. Furrowing his brow, he made that odd look again. "I thought.." You rose an eyebrow. "Is everything ok?" He blushed. "Yeah. Whatever. It's cool." You racked your brain for reasons why he would be acting off. "Did something happen?" He looked shocked. "Well, yeah. Wow you're so fucking psychic." You decided to downplay his clear insult. "Why thaaaank you. I actually know how to read palms. Here, let me read yours." He sneered, but nonetheless gave up the palm. You pretended to trace lines, and he stood there transfixed. "Wow Max, I didn't know you were so into fortune telling!" Teasing him felt too right in this moment. "Fuck off. I don't give a shit about any of that." You scrunched your face in deep faux concentration. "It looks like..." your eyes grew wide and he tried to yank his hand back. "Ugh! You're weirding me out!" You held fast onto his hand. "It seems like, this line right here? It means you don't wanna sleep alone!" Upon delivery, you burst out laughing. Teasing him felt like nothing else, it was definitely turning into your favorite pastime. "Shut the fuck up." You laughed even harder, and Max grew more red. "Shut up and scoot over!" That shut you up. Face red, you scooted over and tried to clear the awkward air with another joke. "What, you want my pinkie too?" He growled and plopped down. You blinked, slowly bringing your hand down. Before it could reach the blanket, Max yanked it face down and entwined his fingers with yours. Squealing, you tried to make him return it, but he was much stronger. You slowly slunk back down into bed, fixing the covers. When you were snug, you dared<br/>to glance back towards him. He was blushing, eyes half lidded and fixated on the corner of your pillow. You cleared your throat. "Thanks, Max. Uh...sweet dreams." He only nodded, closing his eyes. You mimed his actions and also shut your eyes. Sleep came the easiest it ever had at camp.</p>
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<a name="section0018"><h2>18. On Loop</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The next week went by in a blur. You always had either Max or Nerris taking up your time. Hell, even Nikki came by to show you a cool piece of wood that you promptly flung across the room when she explained it was petrified bear poop. David also came by loads, always the doting mother when it came to your wound. "Oh this little cut is nothing! Why I've had..." he paused, bringing his fingers up into the air. "One...two...three...WELL," you jumped at the sudden difference in volume. "I can't count HOW MANY buses have run over me!" Grimacing, you smiled slightly and nodded. David continued to give you the once over, and even gave you the all clear on your stitches removal date. "Looks like you'll be able to remove them..." he glanced back at the calendar, which he doodled with a little crying face and a leg on the day you fell. "Why it should be alright to take them out now!" You felt he was right. Your leg hadn't really given you any trouble, save for the sometimes it would ache. "Yeah? I want to!" He nodded brusquely, reaching into the desk drawer to retrieve the scariest looking scissors you had ever seen. In fact, they were so rusty that when David tried to say they weren't that bad, the peg holding the two slices together completely broke. "Well, that sure puts a damper in our hamper! But not to worry, (Y/N). Just a quick run to Sleepy Peak and I'll be able to pick up some more! I'll be back in a jiff!" He was rapidly gaining speed while he spoke, and was out the door as soon as he finished his line. You sighed, looking at the two pieces of rusted scissor on the desk. Got your hopes up for nothing! You were so excited to do the things you couldn't do while you were forced to stay in bed. But staying in bed had its perks, too! Like crafting with Nerris, and hanging out with Max! Oh no. Max. You wouldn't be able to sleep together any more! You spent the rest of your morning in solitude, wondering just how to break the news, staring blankly at the pillow by your side. </p><p>Later that day, Max brought you some lunch. "Hey, loser, why do you look so sad?" His face flashed with a look of worry, but he grumbled and it left just as quick as it came. "Do your stitches hurt?" You shook your head. "Actually, David gave me the all clear to get them removed. It hurts less than my wrist!" You said, teasing Max. He instantly hardened up, glowering. "Fuck off! I said I was sorry." You laughed and a spark of recognition took over his face. "You mean you won't be in the medical cabin anymore?" You nodded. "It's fine." You nodded again, solemnly, slightly agreeing. Max smiled and ruffled your hair. "I can just sneak in anyways." Your face shot up, a blush blossoming. "You still wanna sleep together?!" His face turned redder than a tomato. "Shut the fuck up! Don't say it like that! God!" You smiled wide, leaning forward to hug him. Unsuccessfully pushing you away, he eventually gave in and returned the embrace. "Whatever, hope this makes you feel better. You fucking freak. You weirdo. Ugh! Stupid!" The insults kept pouring out, increasing in speed as you squeezed harder. You both sat and talked for a bit while waiting for David to come back. When he finally did, the sun was almost set. Soon enough, the stitches were cut. You grimaced, noticing the deep pink scar was probably going to be permanent. Gathering your things, you asked David to hand you the crutches. Max clicked his tongue. "Fuck that. David, take the crutches and her stuff to the cabin." The counselor agreed, commenting on how nice it was for Max to understand you couldn't take everything by yourself. When David took off, he wrapped his arms under you and picked you up bridal style. "Max!" You protested, but eventually gave up and leaned your head against him. He hummed softly in affirmation, and soon you were at your own cabin. However, you hadn't been able to spend one night in it, and there was a slight layer of dust everywhere. Wow. Looks like shit." You rolled your eyes, and he placed you down gently on the unused bed. "Awww! I love seeing campers get along! That's what this is alllll about! Friendship!" Max jumped in his skin, whipping around to glare at David. "If you speak about this to ANYONE, I will personally end your miserable excuse of a life." David chuckled, unphased. "Whatever you say, Max." He paused at the doorframe, wearing his usual smile. "Whatever you say!" Sighing, Max headed towards the door. "Hey!" You piped up. "Where are you going?" Sighing, he gave you a look of pure annoyance, as if you should already know. "To get my stuff? God. You're an idiot."</p>
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<a name="section0019"><h2>19. Fresh Meat Feelings</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>You and Max slept that night like you always did. Holding hands and talking made you feel like you made a real friend. Nerris was a real friend too, but Max really understood you. He even had gone through some of the same things you had! The next morning, he was already gone. This was normal, as Max got up insanely early. You still had to use crutches, but they had become so easy to use after all the practice, and you easily made it to the mess hall for breakfast. Everyone welcomed you back warmly! Well, almost warmly. Ered only nodded, and Nurf didn't even look your way, but Nerris waved you over to the empty seat beside her. You locked eyes with Max and smiled, but he grimaced and looked away. Shrugging it off, you joined Nerris and asked what was on the menu. The "eggs" were completely green, and you swore you saw them move. Space kid asked you if you were going to eat it, and you shook your head. You face was the color of the breakfast, and Harrison asked you if he could be of any assistance. Joking, you exclaimed "Only if you can make some edible food appear!" He smiled big, and reached into his top hat, pulling out an entire jug of orange juice. Wiggling his fingers, he reached in again and pulled out an entire bundle of grapes. You were enraptured. "Wow, Harrison! You're so amazing!" You politely asked if you could have a grape or two, and he insisted. "Of course, (Y/N)! I did it for you!" Smiling, you poured everyone juice and handed out the grapes. Nerris sneered, upset that you were happy with Harrison's inferior magic, but took a hesitatingly slow sip everytime you looked her way. Your first day back was going really, really well. </p><p>David ushered in a very tired looking Gwen, and assured everyone that today was going to be very fun. "Look around the room right now, campers! And pick three people you wouldn't mind partnering up with today!" Gwen gave everyone a piece of paper and a pencil, but Dolph turned it down. "Sorry, I only appreciate fine art materials. I can't be seen mixing with the inferior crowd." He brandished a nice looking prismacolor pencil from his pocket, a nice red, and shoved it high into the sky. "Let the weeding of the weak.....begin!" You gulped and turned to your own fresh paper. Did you really have to choose only three people? You could name like...5 that were totally ok! You wrote Nerris down first, of course. And she did the same for you. You doodled around the page while deciding who else to put. Would it be weird to put Max? Would he even put you? Blushing hard, you bore a hole into the smile you just drew. "(Y/N)? Having trouble?" It was Harrison again. "Oh! No, I'm...." Your eyes quickly glanced at his paper, and you noticed your name was written down. Feeling shy, you smiled. "Sorry, I was just zoned out!" You wrote his name down too, and he beamed. 'Okay..' you thought. 'One more name to go.' Space Kid cleared his throat, and winked at you when you glanced over. 'Ooookay. Definitely not.' You really wanted to put Max. 'Oh, screw it!' You quickly scratched his name in and placed your pencil over it, not wanting to see it. After a few more minutes, David snatched the papers up and said he had to go create the groups. So everyone had about an hour of free time to themselves! Harrison and Nerris both piped up, asking you to hang out, and promptly glared at each other. Even Dolph asked you to go paint with him. You simmered under all the attention, and chose to lie, not wanting to hurt anyone's feelings. "A-actually, I have to go get a ...checkup on my leg..." You added a pretend wince when you touched gently around the scar tissue. Nerris frowned, sending a gentle spell your way to make you feel better. Your heart ached for lying, but you felt good that it worked. </p><p>David was surprised to see you, but not upset. In fact, he correctly guessed that you felt a little overwhelmed on your first day back. His intuition was scary spot on, even if it was fuzzy from the rosy glow of innocence. He allowed you to linger after giving you a quick checkup, and went back to his group work. You felt your throat tighten at the anxiety of not knowing who your partners were, and you glanced over the paper when he wasn't looking. Nerris and you were on the same team, but that's all it was so far. You smiled. At least Nerris would be there for you! Pleased, you thanked David for his kindness and took off back outside to enjoy the sun.</p>
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<a name="section0020"><h2>20. New Opponent</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Player 2 has entered the fight!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>You hobbled back over to the camp center, but it was deserted. Seeing as everyone had dispersed to do their own thing, you decided to go exploring. After 10 minutes of wandering around the camp site, you grew tired. 'I guess I'll just go sit somewhere for a while...' You remembered that Nerris had gifted you some art supplies, and you made your way over to the cabin to retrieve them. You stuffed a water bottle, some chips, and the notepad and pencils into a backpack. Placing it onto your back, you headed out towards the lake. </p><p>Making your way out to the water, you decided to sit on the pier instead of the sand. Slowly easing down, you had flashbacks to the first time you were at the lake and grimaced. Nervously looking around, you smiled and felt at ease when there was no one to be seen. You tapped your chin with a pencil and brought the notebook out to your lap. There was a beautiful lone duck, or at least you thought it was a duck. The waves of the lake gently rolled, pushing it softly. It rode on, not bothered where the water was leading it. You felt inspired by that, and began to draw. 'Ugh.' You thought, rushing to erase a stray line. 'This is really hard.' "That looks beautiful, (Y/N)." God! That scared you, and the pencil flung from your hands and sank deep down into the lake. It was Harrison. "Oh gosh! I'm so sorry, (Y/N)! Here..." he brandished his trusty hat and reached inside. "What about....this?" He said it triumphantly, but pulled out a rose instead. You both blushed, and he shoved the flower back inside. "Whoops! Haha! What about.. this!" Out came a pencil, and you smiled. He relaxed once he realized it was the right item, and you gently took it from his hands. "Thanks Harrison!" He blushed, switching his weight from foot to foot. "No problem." You cleared your throat and scooted over. "I don't mind if you join me..." Harrison brightened up immediately, and plopped down right next to you. Reaching into his hat again, he pulled out his own notebook and writing utensils. </p><p>Staring in awe, your mouth was open and he noticed your look. “Oh, yeah. It’s really magic.” You stammered a bit while forming a sentence together. “M..magic? You mean you can pull ANYTHING out of there?” He sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. “I mean, yeah. I’m not that good, though. That’s why I came here. To practice.” You smiled and patted his back. “Okay! Let’s practice then!” He looked a little confused at first, but it was quickly replaced by determination. “Alright, (Y/N). What will it be?” You felt a little curious to see if he was telling the truth about being able to pull anything out of his hat. You also felt a little dubious about magic being real. “Oooookaaaay Harrison.” You puffed your cheeks out while thinking. “Hoooowww aboooout..” you looked back over the water to the lone duck. “How about... a friend for that duck?” He blinked. “A...friend?” He smirked and pretended to roll his sleeve up. “Okay! One duck coming up!” You watched carefully as he reached into his hat. The sounds of a ticked off duck resonated inside, and you felt water splash you. “H..Harrison! Hahaha!” You wiped your cheek and resumed your gaze. He had already finished pulling the duck out, and you gasped at how much it looked like the one on the lake. ‘Wait a minute..’ Whipping your head to look at the lake, you noticed the duck was gone. “Oh my god, Harrison! That’s the duck from the lake!” He looked shocked and immediately apologized to the creature, and it promptly nipped at his leg and jumped back into the water. “Sorry, (Y/N). I’m still learning how all this magic works.” You assured him that the trick was very impressive, and he brightened up. The two of you heard David calling for all the campers over the speakers, and Harrison hopped up.</p><p>You grabbed your notebook to place it in your bag, but Harrison grabbed it and did it for you. He smiled, placing the backpack on his back and grabbed your crutches. Holding out a hand to you, you took it softly and he gently eased you up. You blushed and thanked him for his help, and he said it was no problem. You made your way together towards the center of camp once again, and talked idly. Harrison rubbed the back of his neck again, and asked you to wait. “Why? What’s wrong? We’re almost there!” He nodded. “I know....I just...” He brought his hat down, and reached inside. Out came the rose, but this time it was attached to a bracelet in the form of a charm. “S-sometimes my magic just follows my emotions instead of what I want. S-so I really did want to give you a rose...you know...before.” He asked your permission to place it on your wrist, and you obliged. He gently clipped it on, letting his hand linger for a moment before bringing it back. After he placed his hat back on, you both resumed your walk. You felt the weight of the bracelet, and you blushed, daring a glance over at him. You locked gazes, and hurriedly averted yours. Harrison did the same, and you both reached the meeting spot after a tense period of silence. Nerris was boiling over with excitement, you guessed David had already gave out the group orders. Her eyes noticed the bracelet, and she cocked an eyebrow. She looked to the left, finally realizing who was walking with you. “HARRISON?!” At the sound of her screech, every camper whipped their heads toward the two of you. Your face blanched. ‘Oh no.’</p>
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<a name="section0021"><h2>21. Dangerous Game</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I’m back! And you guys deserve a massive chapter dump. I hope you’re all ready for this!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Countless eyes watched from the sidelines as Nerris marched over. "I think not, you clown! You should be practicing your party tricks away from my friend!" Nerris grabbed your arm, and Harrison grabbed the other. You gasped, Nerris was mad enough to break character? This was bad. This further infuriated her, and she tugged. "Nerris! Harrison! Calm down!" You pleaded, but the pair didn't listen. Your wrist began to throb. 'Crap! The bruises had finally disappeared, too!', you panicked. Nikki began to race around the three of you, excitedly chanting in an attempt to coax a larger fight. David gasped and hurried over to break it up, begging them to release you. Tears pricked at the corner of your eyes as the bracelet began tugging into your skin. "Ow!" You couldn't help biting out expressions of pain as the tugging continued. </p><p>"That's enough!" Relief flooded your system as they immediately let go. You clutched the wrist with the bracelet, inspecting it for any visible damage. Sighing with relief, it looked like you probably wouldn't bruise, and the charm hadn't cut you. A warm hand encased the top of your arm, and you were gently tugged away from the campsite. Glancing to the side, you recognized the color of Max's jacket immediately. After entering the forest, he began to climb the tree the four of you were on before. You began to ascend behind him, and protested when he wouldn't go up any further. "Just shut up, alright?! I've gotta get the fucking....key.." His body swung heavily to one side, rocking the ladder as he used one arm to search his pockets. After finding it and unlocking the door, he shoved hard and it swung up and over with a large thud. The ladder immediately righted itself, making passage up and into the new treehouse easier than you thought. "Hurry up! God you're fucking slow!" You rolled your eyes at his complaints, and almost slowed down in an attempt to tease. However, the door sounded heavy, and Max would probably love to swing it closed on your face, so you continued up quicker than normal. "Max!" You said, hunched up and over the ledge of the floor. The treehouse smelled incredibly new, like the hardware stores you used to linger through sometimes. Some sandpaper dust tickled your nose, and you jerked upwards a bit. Max noticed it instantly. "You kidding me? You don't have a splinter, do you? I fucking swear to GOD! I told them to not fuck anything up! Fucking retards!" You brushed your hands off on your pants and took a good look around. "Wooooowwww...." It was like you had stepped onto a teen movie set, completely furnished and everything. The sound of an old TV or monitor booting up sounded through the room, and Max shuffled over to you. "Come on, let me see your hands. Where does it hurt?" Tears began to prick at the corner of your eyes. Max, being so unnaturally sweet, combined with the fact that it had been a while since someone cared for you like that. "Shit! It's not your fucking wrist, is it?!" You shook you head, rubbing your eyes on your shoulder. </p><p>After explaining what happened with Nerris and Harrison, Max sneered and grabbed at the clasp of your bracelet. "What?!" You jerked back quickly, attempting to protect the charm. "Get rid of that trash, (Y/N). I'm serious. That magic fucker is a freak. And he's dangerous." You squinted slightly, and inspected the bracelet, as if it would tell you the truth. Conflicted, and a little disappointed, you shuffled over to the bean bag and plopped down. Max rolled his eyes, refusing to budge. You sighed, and unclasped the bracelet. "Happy?!" He sneered, relenting finally. However, as soon as he reached you, he snatched the bracelet that was dangling from your fingers and tossed it out the window. It felt like an ice bath and a pot of boiling water had washed over you at the same time. "MAX! What the actual hell!" Fuming AND sad, you scrambled off the bean bag as quick as you could. Max had turned away from you, shrugging. "Like I said. He's dangerous." Your fists, which had balled up on your sides, shook slightly. Whipping around frantically, your eyes found the entrance you took and gasped. The door to the treehouse was shut and locked.</p>
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<a name="section0022"><h2>22. Locked In</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Max had yet to notice the fact that you saw the lock. Using these precious seconds, you realized two things. One, the padlock needed a key to open. And two, the window appeared to have no foliage around it, meaning you probably would have to jump out of the tree to escape. Time was up. You froze, meeting his gaze. It was unnaturally cool and collected, as if he didn't see anything wrong with being locked up. "Max? Why are we locked in here?" He rolled his eyes, and you shuffled back a bit. </p>
<p>"Look. I saw the plans for today, okay? WE are going to sit our happy asses right here. Nerris and Neil are working to get snacks and drinks right now. We've got..." Max was rambling, still faced towards the old television he was messing with. You edged to the side, trying to be as quiet as possible. Your eyes scanned the rest of the treehouse as quickly as you could, heart beginning to race. Panic stricken, the old wooden bat that was tucked away in the corner looked like the best idea. 'Knock Max out? Are you crazy?' the rational side of your brain was buzzing. Halfway there, the weapon was looking more and more like a rational possibility. "(Y/N)...? What the fuck is wrong with you?" Frozen in place, you looked towards the bat, gauging how quickly you could grab it." Max followed your gaze. "Is there a spider or something...?" Energy was building in your calves, fight or flight activated and ready to help you survive. </p>
<p>You shot forward, half lunging towards the corner. "(Y/N)!!!! What the fuck!?" The gruff and cranky boy behind you finally caught on. "Wait! Fuck! It's not what you think!" The smooth, slightly worn wood caught purchase. In a flash, you had ripped it from the corner of the room, full of energy you never thought was possible. You were on Max in an instant. Your arms shook, hesitating. Knitting your eyebrows together in determination, the bat swung down with enough force to hurt. However, your heart wasn't in it, and the speed wasn't fast enough. He grabbed the top of the bat, yanking it from your grip. The sound of it hitting the floor didn't even register in your ears. Max gripped your wrist, wrenching you down. Knees hitting the floor, your brain switched into overdrive. 'Plan B! Plan B!' But what was plan B? Max had one wrist in an iron grip. "What the fuck is wrong with you?!" You smacked his stomach in a feeble attempt to push away. "Locking me up here?! Are you psycho?! Get away from me!" Your hand found a way to connect with his upper arm, and he grunted. "(Y/N)! Stop! Fucking! Around! It's not what! It looks! Like!" Max was spitting out curses between his dodging, trying his hardest to wrangle you. </p>
<p>You felt a slight pressure behind your right knee, and your heart dropped. Max had been successful, and in one swift movement, your butt hit the treehouse floor. You instinctively kicked, writhing around like a fish on a hook. Now down, you had no escape. Your brain was screaming. 'Plan C!'. You felt weight pin your legs down as Max made it so you couldn't fight back. Tears of fear were streaming down, and you twisted in his grip. A warm feeling snagged your other wrist, and you were firmly held down to the floor. Max hovered over you, red and angry. "You're fucking joking. I'M the fucking psychopath?! You almost fucking killed me!" Unlike you, he wasn't out of breath, but a small sheen of sweat had begun to appear on his forehead. A sniffling mess, you turned away from his gaze. "Just kill me. Get it over with." Plan C was in action. With no energy left and nowhere to escape, the adrenaline was leaving your system fast. "What the fuck? Kill you? Are you fucking retarded?" Shivering, you turned your head and motioned towards the lock. "What?" Max locked eyes on what you were referring to. "Ohhhhh my fucking god." Max let go of a hand in order to facepalm. Looking down, you saw the indication of a key in his front jacket pocket. You could maybe put your hand in there and get it...but what would you do afterwards? 'Fuck it!' Your free hand darted, easily maneuvering into the front pocket. Your hand grabbed the key before Max could yank it out. "Max! Let me go or I'll toss the key!" </p>
<p>That set him off, and the two of you began to tousle again. "Max!" He had grabbed your hand, easily moving it up and making you smack yourself. "Haha! Stop hitting yourself retard!" As frustrating as it was, you couldn't help but laugh at the childishness of it all. "(Y/N). Stop fucking squirming. The lock is there to keep other assholes OUT. Not keep you in. You really think anyone would want to keep..." Your eyes lingered, half lidded and tired, on his face. Max's face softened, and his grip on your hands loosened up. "If I let you go...will you stop freaking out?" Two loud, heavy knocks brought you both out of whatever stupor you were in. "Uhhh...it's me, Neil... I don't know what you guys are doing in there..but I'd like to come in. Maybe? On second thought.." Face in a full blown blush, the two of you quickly scampered away from each other. Max swiped the key out of your palm. "Shut the fuck up, Neil. Come on. You got the goods?"</p>
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<a name="section0023"><h2>23. Tale as Old as Time</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Neil had been teasing you for a good while now. "You've got to be kidding me. You really thought Max was going to kill you or something?" It wasn't as funny as he was making it sound. "Leave it alone, Neil! (Y/N) got to experience one of the coolest things in life! Almost getting killed! Ugh I'm so jealous!" Nikki was bouncing, going through stages of re-enactments of how she would've escaped, if she had been in your shoes. Max plopped down beside you, and the cool touch of an iced can of soda brought you to full attention. "Here. Sorry." Smiling, you cracked it open. True to their words, Nikki and Neil had stolen quite the stash from around the camp. Neil had even fixed the old television, but the only channel that was playing was some 1960's old films. Taking a bite of a sandwich she had just built, Nikki told you some news about camp. "Harrison was looking for you! It was craaaaaazy! Nerris even teamed up with him for a bit. I wonder if they're still looking?" You felt bad. Nerris and Harrison were your friends, and you didn't want to worry them. </p><p>An hour passed quickly with the help of snacks and friendship. You were laughing along at a joke Nikki told when Max suddenly placed his hand over your mouth. "Shh! Did you hear that?" You rolled your eyes, about to shake him off, when you heard it. Footsteps crunching through the fallen leaves and sticks. It was definitely more than one person, and the four of you strained to listen. Nikki sniffed the air. "I smell it!" She hissed out, as quiet as she could. The footsteps grew nearer, stopping underneath the tree. Max let his hand drop, instead opting to use it to reach for the long discarded bat. Neil was coaxing Nikki on the side, urging her to nonverbally tell who she smelled. Her face brightened up, as if she was going to get to do something she had always wanted to do. Taking her index finger into her mouth, she bit the top of it. You winced as she took the now bleeding tip of her finger and wrote slowly on the ground. Cringing, you and Neil watched as she tediously traced out a word."Magic?" You whispered. Nikki nodded furiously, and pretended to die. "Her last words..." Neil waved his hand over her face, pushing her eyes closed. Nikki was not being a very good dead person, as she continued to laugh silently even in death. </p><p>Max turned to the three. "Wait, magic? Shit!" There was a knock on the treehouse door. "Max? I know you're in there. I just heard you." With Max being caught, Nikki and Neil slammed their hands over their mouths. The stash that was in the treehouse was definitely not something the counselors needed to find. Growling, Max kicked the door. "Fuck off, Magic Freak." Wait, it was Harrison? A huff of annoyance later, and the creaking of the ladder indicated that Harrison wasn't going to wait around. Neil fist pumped the air, the adrenaline of a successful heist too good to downplay. </p><p>All four of you bristled when Harrison's voice spoke up again. "Wait a minute...what the?" Max moved to the window, straining to see what was going on. "Oh shit!" Max facepalmed again after his curse. Slinking closer to the floor, you crawled over and attempted to look out the window. Max was fast to grab you. "Don't!" He hissed in your ear. "I think he found the-" a harder, angrier knock cut him off. "Max. I'm going to give you two seconds to return (Y/N)." Max guffawed in response. "I don't have that freak! Unless you wanna find out what happens to people that don't leave me alone, I suggest you FUCK. OFF."</p><p>The silence lasted a while, and it almost felt like Harrison had given up. Nikki and Neil swiped their hands over their foreheads, but Max never let go of the bat. It was too good to be true. "Let (Y/N) go, Max. I found the bracelet."</p>
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<a name="section0024"><h2>24. Magic Act</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Max was pacing hard, even the new floorboards of the treehouse creaked under his stride. "Shit! Shitshitshit!" He kept looking between you and the key, obviously having trouble thinking of a plan. "Max, you can't keep (Y/N) locked up today! We're hosting the Camporee! We need them!" That caught your attention, and you quirked an eyebrow at your friends. "Camporee?" Instantly you paled, slapping a hand over your mouth. Max was seething, glaring at you. "(Y/N) is NOT going to be going to some shitty camp contest. It's bogus, rigged, and stupid. You have exactly 10 seconds to give up and walk away, or I'm...." His tanned finger tapped the underside of his chin. "Or I'll..." Harrison didn't give him time to finish thinking of a threat. The lock began to sparkle, lifting slightly in the air. Neil was scared shitless, and began rocking back and forth. Nikki was excited, pumping her fists up and down and chanting. "Magic! Magic! Magic!" Max maneuvered himself between you and the exit.</p><p>The lock popped open, and then in a flash, disappeared. A chuckle came from right under the treehouse. "Such a simple lock, Max. And here I thought you were smart!" The door creaked open, the top hat of your friend slowly coming into view. He ascended gracefully up and into the hideaway, fixing his rolled sleeve after dusting off. Harrison turned his full attention to you, but lost the smile he had when he noticed you looked pale and a bit afraid. "Max!" He sneered, grabbing at the collar of the shorter boy's sweater. "What did you do to (Y/N)?" Max smacked his hand away, growling. "Whatever, you fucking magic freak. It's almost like they just saw you open a lock without having to touch it." This made Harrison blush, and he sheepishly turned to you. "I'm sorry, (Y/N). I didn't mean to frighten you. I would never use my magic to hurt others." Max was gritting his teeth, looking like he really wanted to say something. Harrison extended his hand to you. "Come on! We gotta go! We're in a group together. Nerris is waiting for us." You chewed the side of your cheek, still apprehensive after what happened between the three of you. His face softened as he squat to your level. "I'm sorry about what happened with Nerris and I. I didnt realize it would hurt you, and I hope you can forgive me." You took a pensive glance around, gauging the reactions of those around you. Max looked like he couldn't hold back anymore. "Hold the fucking phone here, pal. (Y/N) isn't going to be in ANY group of yours! And they sure as HELL aren't going to be in the Camporee. So just take your stupid top hat before I shove it down your fucking throat." Glaring, it was obvious that Harrison didn't take well to the threat Max was giving. "(Y/N). Just say you'll come. We need you to win." You took a deep breath. "Okay. I'll go."</p><p>Harrison's face bloomed into a full smile. "Then...." he took your hands in his, and you noticed the light dusting of pink on his cheeks. Max instantly shot off like a rocket, fully intending to take Harrison down to the floor. Your body began to feel...almost carbonated. Little bubbles were flowing up from your toes to the top of your head. "Let's go!" With a wink, Harrison disappeared. With the sudden disappearance of his fighting partner, Max hit the floor. Locking eyes, you saw Max was wearing a look of fear. The bubbles in your body were intensifying as you helped Max off the floor. "Max, I don't feel so-". POP! With a gasp, you were gone.</p>
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<a name="section0025"><h2>25. Team of 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was cold. Cold, dark, and quiet. Your body was floating almost in a constant form of free fall, the feeling of complete weightlessness completely confusing the movement part of your brain. Like a baby lamb learning how to walk, you decided to bite the bullet and try to right yourself. But first, you had to open your eyes. 'What if this IS space, and my eyeballs freeze?' Realizing you were very much still warm despite how cold it felt squashed that thought instantly. One big breath later, and the sight of thousands of twinkling lights greeted you. Instantly your brain began to freak out, trying to discern what was up and what was down. You spent a good five minutes trying to right yourself, and gave up after tiring out. Blinking, you made an alarming discovery. The "stars" were getting closer. </p><p>Not only were they getting closer, but you swore you could hear something. Like a static, the noise sounded like a thousand conversations at once. One star began to grow, fluttering around the sides like a jellyfish propelling through the ocean. It stabilized, and you could see what the star really was. A portal. "This could be a way out!". Only the view of a cabin ceiling was visible, and you gingerly touched the edges of the portal in an attempt to find a way to pull yourself through. It worked, and you peeked up and out. Magic tools littered the entire cabin. You must be in Harrison's room! "Y/N? Finally!"</p><p>A warm hand encased your arm, sending flutters through your stomach. It was Harrison, his face a very welcoming one as he pulled you up and out of the portal. "I was wondering when you were going to pop up! Thank god you did!" That comment struck you as a bit odd, but you chose to ignore the feeling. "Thanks, that was so cool! How can you do that?" Your friend looked a little sheepish, placing his hands behind his back. "Well...." Before he could finish, David's voice rang over the camp speaker. "Goooooood Afternoon my precious camp camp campers! As you all know, today is the day of the long awaited Camporee! So all of you come on down and meet me by the flag pole! Don't be late! Daviiiiiiid out!" You smiled, David always had a cute way of speaking! Harrison cleared his throat, and you noticed his hand was extended towards you. "Coming?" You smiled, feeling the flutters again. "Yeah!"</p><p>Nerris beamed as soon as she saw you. "I'm so glad you're going to be on my team!" Her face flashed with a slight darkness at the sight of your magical friend, but she quickly covered it up as not to upset you. "I mean, David hasn't really told us who is going to be on what team, but I've been working tirelessly on this spell of manifestation!" You smiled, hoping dearly that Nerris could be on your team. "(Y/N)!" Swiveling to find the familiar voice, you saw Max. He didn't look angry at all, in fact, he looked really pleased with something. His now smug smile completely different than the fuming one he had on previously. Harrison's face uncharacteristically frowned. "What did you do-" But the magician wasn't able to finish his question, and David called the campers to order. </p><p>"As you all know by now, our wonderful camp tradition is underway! And I've come up with an idea that will give us the edge up on the competition. By breaking into teams of three, we should be able to focus on one aspect of the camporee, and sweep the competition!" Nerris was practically bouncing with excitement, and you felt the nervous, but excited butterflies fluttering in your chest. "Alright! For our first team...(Y/N)! With our friendly magician, Harrison! And finally....." David squinted, studying the papers in his hand. "Uhh...and the final camper on the first team is...." Nerris grabbed your hands, beaming. "Max!"</p>
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<a name="section0026"><h2>26. Guard Dog</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>At the sound of Max's name, Nerris's face rapidly flickered through three different emotions. Disbelief, anger, and finally, sadness. Harrison also looked completely baffled. "How is that possible? I-" Harrison closed his mouth quickly, looking a bit distraught. Max sauntered over with purpose, coming to a spot by your side. Meeting your gaze, he scowled. "What are you looking at? Unhappy that I'm on your team of freaks?" Blushing, you babbled quick assurances that you didn't mind being on his team. Harrison had other ideas about what he just heard. "Excuse me? Did you just call me a freak?" Max blew a puff of air out of his flared nostrils. Stepping in front of you, his shoulders squared up. "Yeah? You gonna tell me you're not? We have some shit to talk about what you pulled back there, freak." While Max maintained composure, Harrison did not. Fortunately for you, David began to read off of the list again. The boys can argue, you had to do some serious damage control for Nerris.</p><p>Her emotions had once again settled on sorrow, and you gingerly patted her on the back. "Is there any spell you can use so I can make sure you're safe?" That seemed to perk her up, and she softly reached into her trusty pouch. "I...I have this one spell I've been saving because it wasn't ready yet..." Brandishing an almost complete friendship bracelet, Nerris looked away shyly. Wanting to cheer her up, you proclaimed that you absolutely loved the idea, and asked if she had a matching pair. She did, although hers was finished, and you told her how amazing hers looked as well. Max's worn blue sleeve slunk past the left side, and he uncharacteristically picked up your bracelet with care. "Let me help you put it on." Nerris looked as if zombies had invaded the camp, but made no move to stop him. </p><p>His fingers gently brushed against the inside of your wrist, and you felt the same flutters as you had before with Harrison. Only these started in your heart, and tried to fly out of your throat. You mentally hoped that he couldn't feel the sweat starting to appear on your skin. 'Why am I suddenly like this?' was the only thought that you could process while he gently tied it on your unhurt wrist. His cyan eyes flickered once to gauge your reaction, and smirked before quickly finishing the job. By the look on Nerris's face, she must have seen him leave. "What....the heck was that?!" Her whisper was strained, a decibel away from a silent shriek. You couldn't answer her, you didn't even know your own feelings yourself. Deciding to not risk the glance backward, you stood there in a dreamy daze while David read off the last of the teams. </p><p>"Aaaand that's a wrap, campers! Let's shoot for success and be our very best while we compete today!" You didn't notice that Harrison had slunk up beside you, and gently jumped when he placed his hand on your shoulder. "Don't worry, (Y/N). I have a trick up my sleeve that will be sure to win the competition!" He floundered around in his crisp sleeve while delivering the punchline, and a beautiful daisy was held out to you. "I think the fuck not, party boy." Max had taken his place by your side, swiping the flower from your friends hand. Nerris gave you a brisk hug, shaking her friendship bracelet before scampering off to meet with her team. You turned fully to face your partners. Harrison's arms were folded proper, and Max was ready to fight. They both looked incredibly angry. You sighed. This was going to be another long afternoon.</p>
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<a name="section0027"><h2>27. Capture the Flag Pt. 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The challenge seemed simple enough, but you knew it wasn't going to be that easy. When David brought out the map, Max let out a tense gust of air. "Oh fuck." Luckily the counselor decided not to hear the crass language, and instead began to explain the task. "Now remember campers. The aim is not speed, but safety! Well, maybe a little speed. Oh gosh! What are you saying, David! It's all about safety!" Sighing, you patted him on the shoulder and gently took the directions from his now sweating hands. "Oh! Alright! But remember, (Y/N), please be careful. And win. Oh gosh! There I go again! Stupid David! So stupid of me!" Grimacing at his obvious unraveling mental state, you glanced at the paper and sighed in relief upon noticing this map was a real one. The last one was full of David's doodles. You enjoyed his chipper attitude and knowledge of trees, but his artistic skill lead you straight into a ravine. Eager to put yet another near death experience behind you, the map was given to Harrison. </p><p>Your opponents, the scouts, chuckled with pity at the three of you before disappearing into the woods. Shrugging on the sort of heavy backpack full of things your counselor demanded you need, you waited for your friends to join up. Harrison gently tugged at the straps of his backpack, and failed to lift it more than an inch. Blushing, his wand came into view with a gentle wave to tap lightly on his pack. Smiling at another trick done right, he swung it onto his slim shoulders with ease. Rolling his eyes, Max had no trouble lifting his backpack. Finally, they made it to you.</p><p>"Alright, I have an idea on how to win easy. We just have to get about a third of the way there before it gets close enough to kick in." Harrison was oozing confidence, and it was really easy to trust him on this. The group agreed, and you began the journey into the trees. Harrison took the lead, happy with his role at the front, while you flanked behind him. Max took his place behind you, not wanted to bother to attempt to read a map either. You didn't want to admit it, but the dead silence from your group partners was beginning to turn awkward fast. "Uhmmmm..." At the sound of your voice, the leader whipped around. "Is everything alright?" Not wanting to cause a scene, you shook your head. "No, it's okay...." Satisfied with your feeble answer, he studied the map and continued walking. </p><p>After about five extremely painful minutes, Harrison's pocket began to glow. "Yes! It works! I knew it!" Hurriedly, he fished a glowing rock out of his pocket.  "The brighter this rock glows, the closer we get to the flag. I cast a spell on it as soon as I found out what task we were going to have to do. Rock on, am I right?" Max did not like this idea. "You said before I beat the shit out of you, NOT to beat the shit out of you because you WERENT. GOING. TO DO. MAGIC." Harrison looked sheepish, frantically backing up. "Woah woah woah! Cool it! I did this before I made that promise. And besides, this magic is completely harmless!" You couldn't help but agree with him. The rock seemed like your only chance at winning, and his magic didnt seem that dangerous. Max did not agree. "What kind of bullshit excuse is that, you fucking RAT. I'm going to beat the shit out of you with that rock, and then you'll have to shit it out!" You had heard enough, and as soon as Max's hands gripped Harrison's vest, you ran up behind him and latched on. "(Y-Y/N)! Chill the fuck out!" Your arms squeezed tight, attempting to pull him off. "Alright! A-already! I get it! Fuck!!! I get it!!" Peeking over his shoulder, you saw that he had let him go. </p><p>"Sorry Max...I just didn't want you to hurt anyone or get in trouble...." Max was furiously red, his ears almost producing steam. "Alright, alright. I get it. You can...you can let go now." Harrison was torn between being jealous and thankful. You softly stopped hugging Max, and shuffled to take your place behind the leader. "Okay, Harrison. Let's see where this rock takes us."</p>
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<a name="section0028"><h2>28. Capture the Flag Pt.2</h2></a>
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    <p>After that ordeal, the silence was welcoming. Your friends had yet to speak, and the rock continued to play a game of hot and cold to the flag. Lost in your thoughts, the root of a tree popped up unexpectedly, causing you to stumble. Max grabbed your elbow quickly, keeping you upright as you regained balance. As soon as you were up, his hand shot back out of view so quickly that it hurt your feelings a bit. The thought that maybe you were just anxious and overthinking things resonated, and you chose to remain silent, save for a quiet thank you meant for the savior. It was turning into dusk, and the rumbles of a hungry tummy missing dinner soon made you forget all of your worries. Max read your mind. "Hey, let's camp quick before the fuckin' sun goes down. It's gonna get cold." Harrison didn't even bother turning around. "Just a little bit farther, I want to make as much time as possible. The Scouts have probably already made it to the flag." Your stomach chose to groan as soon as he finished speaking, and you blushed, hoping no one heard it. </p><p>A warm, solid hand encased your cold one. It was Max, and his gaze softened greatly when he realized you were looking at him. "(Y/N) is too tired to keep going. Let's camp here." 'What?' You thought, completely embarrassingly annoyed. 'He's blaming this on me!' Feet aching and eyebrows raised, you called back to Harrison. "I'm fine! I can keep going!" Trying to pry your hand from Max's, you attempted to pull him forward as a sign to keep walking. Two hands fell onto his shoulders as Harrison gave him a rough shove. Max stumbled back, quickly letting go of your hand before it could yank you backwards. "If you're too tired, don't blame it on them. (Y/N) is completely fine. Right?" You nodded furiously, but your stomach gave another solid growl. Harrison sighed, pocketing the stone. "I don't know how long the spell with last, but let's camp up and get some dinner." </p><p>Thankfully, David had packed two modest tents inside the boy's backpacks. After setting them up as quickly as the three of you could, the boys decided to let you have your own sleeping arrangements. Even the small tent and somewhat hard sleeping bag looked more welcoming than your bedroom after a long day of school. Fishing around your backpack, you found David had also packed you a canteen full of fresh water and lots of ready to eat snacks. Pulling apart the top layer of a sandwich, you noticed he even drew a smiley face with the mayonnaise. David was so sweet and kind, even if he was a bit odd. The sandwich tasted amazing and made with love, the ham and cheese calming down your stomach immensely. After finishing your sandwich and a small bag of chips, the boys bid you goodnight. Harrison doubled back after Max entered their tent, wishing you sweet dreams and letting you know not to worry about any wild animals. He assured you that his magic would be able to protect the group. You thanked him, eager to rest and relax with your own thoughts. Laying down, you brought your knees up and pulled the blanket close. Sleep came so quickly that just a blink was all it took.</p><p>The dream was so real. You were floating in the dark place, only this time the "stars" were but specks on the horizon. No matter how hard your legs kicked, and arms flailed, they didn't creep any closer. Grunting in frustration, you came to the shocking realization that there was no sound in this space. Completely alone, scared, and unable to call for help. Anxiety crept up like cold fingers, icing every limb until frozen. Now unable to move, you began to hyperventilate. The air was thinning, becoming increasingly difficult to breathe in...</p><p>Your eyes shot open, and you tried to calm your racing heart. Taking deep breaths, you wiggled your toes and sighed with relief upon realizing it was a dream. Slowly, your body began to fully wake up. Unable to remember why and when you fell asleep, you decided to unzip the tent door and peek outside. It was pitch black, except for the boys tent. You could see their shadows, illuminated probably by one of the many odd arrangements David packed. Debating on whether or not to go and see them, you mentally chastised yourself for being so childish over one scary dream. Upon further inspection, you noticed the figures were definitely arguing. Bits of angry whispers permeated the soft chirps of the forest, and you strained to decipher it. The more words you could make out, the more your stomach dropped. They were arguing about you.</p>
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<a name="section0029"><h2>29. Time to Choose</h2></a>
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    <p>Nervousness. Worry. Dread. When people spoke about you, even when it was positive, it made you anxious. Like an itch that needed to be scratched, you just had to find out exactly what they were talking about. Maybe, you could even fix the problem! Atleast, that was the goal. Surveying the land in front of the tent, you saw nothing that would make much noise if you accidentally crushed it while creeping closer to the boys. Or, you could leave it...</p><p>Scooting on your knees, you took each crawl one at a time. It was becoming easier and easier to hear them, and your anxiety only built when it became obvious that it was indeed an argument. You were close enough now. Sitting back on your heels, you slowly sat down enough to relieve the pressure off of the scarred leg area. "Shut the fuck up. I'm not going to tell you again. Stay away from (Y/N). Your magic shit is dangerous. Didn't you poof away your own fucking brother? You can't control that shit." That was definitely Max. Harrison let out a soft scoff, almost unintelligible. "I know what this really is, Max. You're just jealous." Your heart was beating rapid and hard against your rib cage. Harrison had a brother that disappeared using his magic? "Are you out of your little rat mind?" You could practically hear Max's teeth grinding, forcing himself to stay quiet. "I should've killed you for playing your little disappearing act. You're so fucking god damn lucky they popped back up." Harrison let out a breathy chuckle. "And I guess you're so lucky too, right? Lucky enough to have friends that will distract David so you can erase Nerris off of the team and put your name instead, right?" You felt sick. Max wouldn't do that, right? You remembered Nerris's name on the list when David spoke to you about your "checkup", and felt a wave of nausea. This was too much. If they were both telling the truth, Harrison and Max were not being honest with you. Your nightmare popped back into mind. You closed your eyes, imagining a little Harrison floating around in the void, scared and alone. "You're retarded. Actually mentally handicapped. If I did that, why wouldn't I just take YOUR name off?" Max's voice was rising in pitch, unhappy with Harrison's idea of deflecting the argument. You knew it was going to be impossible for him to hold his frustration in pretty soon.</p><p>Surprisingly,  Harrison was also losing grip on his ability to maintain composure. "Did you tell (Y/N) about my brother?" It was a simple question. One, that under any other circumstances, wouldn't mean much. But for him to ask that, you knew Max's attempts at riling him up were true. "Who the FUCK cares about your brother, you absolute troglodyte? Stop fucking changing the subject, and tell me you'll stay away from (Y/N)." Harrison was beginning to crack. His shadow crossed over, melding into Max's. They were going to start fighting for real. Feeling absolutely sick, you softly crept backwards until you could maneuver back into your tent. Zipping up the door as quiet as possible, you watched through the thin material for any signs that meant either running away or saving a friend. But who would you save? </p><p>Max. Your heart twinged in pain when you made the choice instantly, but you knew that he was the one you cared more for. The arguing was growing louder, until it hit a crescendo. You heard the other tent unzip quite loudly, and someone angrily shuffle out of the tent and onto the ground. "Fuck." A small curse meant one thing. Although you didn't know who had won the fight, it was apparent Max could no longer hang around Harrison. "Fucking stupid Houdini asshole." Unzipping your tent less than an inch, you peeked out of the hole. The familiar blue hoodie was the only part of him you could see, until he sat down on a log facing the forest. His knee was bouncing, full of pent up energy and frustration. Shaking his head, he buried his fluffy head into his hands and took a deep laborious breath. Sighing, you gathered up the small fleece blanket into your arms. Max wanted to be left alone, but you wanted to be there for him. And, you wanted one more thing. Answers.</p>
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<a name="section0030"><h2>30. Open Up</h2></a>
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    <p>If Max heard you approaching, he made no move to show it. Heart hammering, you softly placed one hand down on the log. Thanking God silently that he didn't snap at you, it was about 5 laborious seconds before you were sitting comfortably on the fallen tree. Your hands began to sweat as you tried desperately to think of an ice breaker. "Max...", you sighed, fidgeting with the corner of the old blanket. "Thank you. For sticking up for me. And for helping me, and saving me." The words were like vomit, uncontrollable. "I don't know why you do it, but the time I've spent at camp so far has been honestly the best of my life. I've...." Choking on the last word, it became impossible to continue. Your throat was tight, and you desperately tried to breathe normally. No one knew about your home life. It wasn't as bad as some people have it, but you couldn't honestly say you enjoyed or looked forward to anything but your bedroom. And even then, it was difficult. </p><p>Sighing, you decided that Max wasn't going to respond. You'd hoped he had felt differently, that he would listen to you like no one else did. Shuffling, you unfolded the blanket carefully. Max's arm shot out like a viper, and he grasped your hand hard. "Don't...." His voice was raspy and torn. You knew instantly that he was crying. Giving his hand a quick squeeze seemed to send a jolt through him. Imperceptible in the darkness, you could now feel his slight tremors that racked his lean frame. "I won't go, Max. But I have a nice blanket..." You cleared your throat, attempting to gather up the courage. "If....if you want to share." After a beat of silence, he slowly let go. Unfolding the fleece, you softly wrapped it around his shoulders and scooted close. Max continued to keep his head down and in his sweater, so you decided to wrap an arm around his back to hold the blanket in place. "Can I lean my head on your shoulder?" Feeling rather bold came much easier when it was to help someone, especially if that someone was important to you. He softly nodded.</p><p>Leaning over, you squeezed him closer and closed your eyes. Max surprised you by finally speaking again. "My....parents don't give a shit about me." You stayed silent, hoping he would take that as a cue to continue. He did. "You already know that. We...talked about it a bit when I saw your file." He paused, rubbing his eyes a bit on his sleeve. "Neil doesn't get it. None of these fuckers do. Except for maybe Nurf, but he's one brain cell away from clinical retardation." He kicked out angrily, blinding attempting to get some frustration out. "When I saw your file.....I thought you were like me. When I saw you about to fucking off yourself on the first day, I....I don't fucking know!" You rubbed his arm encouragingly, feeling more patient than you ever had. </p><p>Max shuddered into your embrace, as if you were the protector. "(Y/N)...You..." You shifted your arm from behind him, to pat his head. Your fingers sunk in slightly, his fluffy hair somewhat fighting against you. He didn't budge, allowing you to play with the fluff. "I just wanted to protect you. Protect you like...like I wish I..." He choked, pressing his face into his arms hard. Maneuvering quickly, you brought your other arm around to fully embrace him. "It's okay Max. Thank you so much. You're so important to me, I don't know what I would do without you." For the first time since the conversation began, Max looked at you. "What did you say?"</p><p>Red and raw, you were completely shocked to see he had a split lip. His nose was dripping, and his eyes were so puffy you thought he was squinting. He cringed, sinking back as if embarrassed by the way he looked. "Jesus, Max!" You hissed out. "Come on, let's go to my tent. I have a first aid kit that David packed..." He said nothing, but stood up when you did. "And...if you want, you can stay." He tucked his hands into the front of his slightly bloodied hoodie and followed you. Once inside, you zipped up the tent and began to rifle through the backpack. Finally finding what you needed, you set to work by gently wiping the area around the cut. "Don't move too much, okay? I don't want to....mess up. There!" Once it was clean, you poured a little hydrogen peroxide to clean inside. Then, you took a butterfly suture, making sure to be extra gentle. Once the cut was properly pulled together, you sat back to examine your work. "Okay! That's all fixed. Let's wipe those eyes!" Max swiped your hand away, grabbed a handful of tissue, and cleaned his face. "Don't fuckin baby me." He chastised. A painful look crossed his face. But whatever he was thinking about, he decided not to say. "Let's just go to sleep or whatever." You only had one sleeping bag, and Max wasn't going to go get his. </p><p>"You can use the bag. I have the blanket! Just like old times, right?" Max rolled his eyes, but didn't fight you on it. Once he was snug, he told you to avert your eyes. "My favorite fucking hoodie is probably ruined. Fucking magic fucking prick. Here." He tossed you the balled up fabric. "Just like old times, right?" You blushed, embarrassed to remember how you were stuck in an impromptu sleepover that could've ended with the two of you getting caught. Wait. Getting caught? You blushed harder. What would you be getting caught about? "(Y/N)." Max snapped his fingers in front of you. "Are you getting sick? Jesus Christ. You can't go a fucking DAY without something happening to you. Come on, get in." Your brain short circuited, and your heart skipped a beat. "G..get in?" For someone who just had a rough heart to heart, Max could bounce back. His smug look really clashed with his 'I just cried' eye bags, but for some reason, he made it work. "Mhmm." You scooted over, slowly entering the sleeping bag. Once you were settled, it felt better to weave your legs with his, so you did. Max yawned hugely. "Hand." You wiggled your arm up and laced your fingers with his. "Goodnight, (Y/N). Don't tell a soul about this or...." His sentence was stopped midway from another big yawn. "I'll kick your ass..." His breathing slowed, and sleep finally won. You smiled, giving his warm and soft hand a squeeze. "I won't, Max. I won't."</p>
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<a name="section0031"><h2>31. Different</h2></a>
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    <p>Max woke you up by gently shaking you. "Come on. We gotta go. Harrison is gonna wake up soon, and I don't want him knowing I slept with a los-..." He seemed to pause, chewing on his words. "With you. No....offense." You rolled over, rubbing the sleep from your eyes. "None taken....I'm going to-" A big yawn stopped you from finishing the sentence, and you closed your eyes again. He sighed, pulling the blanket off. "Max!!!" You shot upwards, feeling suddenly cold. "Come on, let's go." You nodded sleepily, rubbing your arms. The early morning air had permeated the thin tent, much colder than being in a cabin back at camp. A bundle of cloth hit your face, and you sputtered. "What the heck was that for?!" Max chuckled deeply, but stopped as soon as he realized what he was doing. "Idiot. If you don't want it, I'll take it back."</p><p>Looking down, you realized it was his sweater. Blushing, you began to shrug it on. "Y-you!" Max was blushing harder than you, thinking for sure you wouldn't actually accept the offer. Pausing halfway, you stared blankly at him. Completely a tomato, he grit his teeth. "Keep it.." You smiled, and finished putting it on. It was heavenly, with just the right texture and warmth. "Thank you, Max. I won't mess it up! I promise." He nodded, scoffing. "Now come on, we gotta get up before Harrison the Wonderful wakes up. My lip still hurts. Bastard."</p><p>Luckily, the two of you did wake up before him. Max was shocked when he saw Harrison's face as he finally exited the tent. Harrison frowned, eyes flickering between Max's wounds on his face. "Oh, what, you're wondering why I'm not messed up? I used magic to heal." Max balled up his fist and shot forward, only stopping because you placed a hand on his shoulder and held him back. "You fucking asshole!" He grit his teeth, but made no attempts to jerk against your hand to break free. "...I'll just have to give you some more until you can't heal!" Harrison looked scornful, not an inch of care on his face. In fact, when he saw where your hand was touching Max, he outright sneered. "Like I have time to bother with a rabid mutt like you. Let's go." This time, Max jerked out of your touch. You quickly grabbed his arm, however, and he stopped again. Harrison threw a glance over his shoulder, but immediately grew angry and turned back around. Max stepped in front of you, blocking your view. "You're in the back today. Don't fucking fall." </p><p>The trip to the flag was even more awkward and silent than before. You tried your best not to trip along the way, but stayed as quiet as possible when you did so they wouldn't hear. Max frequently looked back, as if you were going to disappear if he didn't. Pretty soon, the three of you reached the finish line. There were two tattered flags flapping in the wind, one with a scout logo, and the other with the camp camp insignia. You cheered, tugging on Max's shirt sleeve. "This means they haven't gotten theirs yet!" You excitedly whispered. He grinned back, but winced when it upset his cut. "Ouch. Shit" It began to bleed, and you began to rifle through your pack for the neosporin. </p><p>Harrison was busy plucking the flag out of the holder, but noticed the two of you had stopped and assessed the situation. You felt an icy chill deep in your stomach when you saw his face. He was smiling, a crooked sinister smile that can only come from the joy of someone else's pain. You stared in shock, fingers resting on the cut accidentally. "Ouch! Fuck! (Y/N)! Gentle please?!" That brought you out of the stupor, and you hushed Max with quiet apologies. He noticed the change instantly, and reached up to grab your hand. "(Y/N)? What's up? What happened?" You shook it off, giving Max a reassuring squeeze. "Nothing! I thought I saw a scout or something. Let's go. This place is giving me the creeps!" The lie rolled easily off your tongue, but you couldn't help the twinge of guilt that accompanied it. Harrison instantly wiped the look off of his face when Max turned around, and you thanked the world for it. You needed to talk to Max as soon as you got back.</p>
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<a name="section0032"><h2>32. Villain</h2></a>
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    <p>It was a long journey back to camp. The heat of the day beat down on the three of you, and you softly shrugged the jacket off and tied it around your waist. Max was building up a sheen of sweat, but Harrison had "Magic'd" a cloud above his head to keep cool. Since the fight, you felt that Harrisons attitude had drastically changed. Long gone was the sweet magician who wanted to give you roses and charms. You felt depressed and confused, wondering if the Harrison you used to know was even real. You wished Nerris was here. She would cheer you up, and you knew her heart was honest and pure. But you knew another emotion was surfacing. One you knew well enough from living at home. Fear.</p><p>At the halfway mark, Max stopped for a few paces and took a swig out of his water bottle. "Here, you're sweating all over the fucking place." You opened your mouth to decline, but he shoved it into your sweating palm and began to walk again. You tried to get over the fact that he had just taken a drink, but ultimately wiped the top with the sleeve of the sweater. After that, you only tripped a couple more times over some rocks and twigs before the group finally made it back to camp. </p><p>Nerris almost tackled you to the ground. "(Y/N)! Hark! Your team triumphed over evil!" It felt so nice to be around your friend again. You hugged her tight, apologizing after realizing you were definitely sweaty and disgusting. She didn't mind, and returned the hug. "Is everything alright, (Y/N)?" You didn't want to bother her, and said you were fine but very tired. She nodded furiously and dug into her trusty pouch, placing a packet of fruit snacks into your hand. "Then thou must replenish thyne mana!" Laughing, you thanked Nerris and opened the snacks. However, she wasn't laughing. She reached down, grabbing the material of the sweater. "....Pray tell, (Y/N). What doth thou have'st round thyne midsection?" Gasping, you looked around for Max. "I have to return this! Thanks Nerris! Sorry! Bye!" Max was headed to his cabin, and you took off to catch up. Nerris blushed furiously, calling after you. "THOU ART BETROTHED?! (Y/N)?! .....(Y/N)?!" Grimacing, you hoped no one heard it, running all the way there.</p><p>Max was quick, and he had already made it inside before you could even announce your presence. Shrugging, you pushed open the door. "Oh my god! WHAT THE FUCK! PRIVACY?!" Max was quick to lash out, but immediately softened as soon as he recognized you. "Oh, fuck. It's just you. Well?! Shut the damn door!" You smiled, placing your hands around your body. "Oh noooo! Privacy! My virtue!" His eyebrows scrunched furiously at your teasing, but it clashed with his smile. "So fucking stupid. What do you want?" That sobered you up quick. Hands falling, you turned around to shut the door. Max realized something was up. "Hey, is this about last night? Look...I'm sorry I..." He shuffled, visibly upset. "If you wanna pretend that never happened..that would be ok. I get it. My life is kinda fucked up..." Shaking your head, you went and sat down on his bed. "No, Max. It's about...Harrison." </p><p>His face relaxed for a slight second, and then turned venomous. "What did he do. Did he fucking do something? I swear to god. I'm going to fuck him up." Grabbing his arm, you shook your head again. "No, he...didn't do anything. Well, he kind of did." Max was getting more irritated. "WELL? Then let me go so I can fuck. him. up." You grabbed his other arm. "No! You can't!" The fear that had been placed in your heart had been growing. "Max....I'm scared. He's really not the same. He's not the same anymore! He...it's like he really wants to hurt us." Retracting your arms, you hugged yourself in an attempt to calm down. "He was happy you got hurt. He was so happy when he saw your cut opened up again! He can do anything. His magic can just make you disappear! It made ME disappear! I went to the cold place...it's so empty...and lonely and..scary.."</p><p>Max's fingers brushed softly against your cheek, making you flinch. "(Y/N). Please stop crying.." Shocked, your fingers creeped up to touch your wet cheek. You locked eyes with Max. "I'm..crying?" He looked heartbroken. "(Y/N). He won't hurt you. He...our argument was actually. Aw, fuck." He ran a hand down his face, concealing his slight blush. "Okay." Sitting down next to you, he awkwardly attempted to rub your back. "Uh...there...there..." Sighing, you couldn't help but sniffle. Max cleared his throat. "Harrison told me something in the tent. Something that started our argument in the first place." Nodding, you picked at your fingers. "I know. I heard you fighting." Grimacing, he continued. "Sorry. He, ugh..he told me he..." Max rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand. "It was really fucking obvious, but..." Blushing harder, he turned his head away. "He told me he likes you."</p>
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<a name="section0033"><h2>33. Game Plan and New Feelings</h2></a>
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    <p>Your stomach clenched in knots, tears drying up with the shock. "W-what?" You squeaked out, unable to process what he had just said. Max's hand smacked your back, before returning to his side. Wincing, you quickly rubbed your eyes and sat up straight. "I said he likes you, dumbass." Blinking, you tried to understand why that would make Max angry enough to argue. "But why would you fight him for that?" Max scowled, blushing. "T-The way he was talking about you was fucking gross! It was like, he was possessed and shit! He thinks because you accepted the charm that you guys are together or something. Like he fucking owns you." </p><p>After Max finished, you both sat there in silence, unsure of what to say. "Well..." You sighed, feeling bad for what you were about to say. "Well I don't...like him." He bristled next to you. "Well that's...good." Shocked, you turned to Max. "Good? Why is that good!?" Blushing, he slapped a hand over his face. "Good because he's mentally unstable? Dumbass. W-what did you think I meant?!" Oh, this was just too awkward for you. "Nothing, nothing." Brushing it off seemed like the best idea, but Max seemed oddly ticked off at the change of conversation. </p><p>"Whatever. Come on, we need a game plan." That surprised you. "What? A game plan?" Max's eyes were gleaming in the midday rays that entered the cabin window. '...I've never noticed how beautiful Max's eyes are. Like a jewel...' He flicked your forehead, stopping your train of thought. "Ouch!" You exclaimed, even though it didn't hurt. "Duh, dumbass. What are you, stupid? We need a game plan. He's got magic on his side, but I've got something much better." Chewing on your cheek, you tried to think of something better than seemingly all powerful magic. "Uh....what's better than magic?" Scowling, he moved to flick your head again, but stopped when you winced. Choosing instead to rub the top of your head, he spoke. "A fucking brain."</p><p>The camporee was still going on, but only half of the kids were participating. Since you had won, David said you could take the day doing whatever you wanted as long as it was safe. Max flipped him off, pulled out a stolen clipboard, and began to plan. "I've got an idea. He's all powerful, sure. If you believe in that shit. But there's one thing people aren't more powerful than, even..if they want to be." Max shook off whatever upsetting thought he had, and flipped to the back of the stack of papers. "Aaaaaand bingo. Parent contact information." Turning to you, he flashed a smile and your stomach did a flip. "For this to work, we've got to do a couple of things." Tapping a pencil on his chin, he looked deep in thought. "Say...how good is your 'pretend I'm a camp counselor and totally older than I actually am' voice?"  You cleared your throat and tried to deepen your voice. Max laughed. "Okay, it's terrible, but it'll work. If his parents are dumb enough shits to send him to this camp, they'll obviously be dumb enough to fall for it." Max turned on his heels and headed briskly in the opposite direction. Trailing after him like puppy was the only option.</p><p>You watched in awe as Max picked the lock to David's cabin. "What? Haven't seen someone do this before?" 'No..' you thought. You had never seen someone like Max before. He was cunning, brave, and unrefined. His eyes could be cut gemstones, or a warm and inviting ocean. Snapping fingers brought you back to reality. 'Ugh! What is going on with me?' Chastising yourself for not paying attention, you apologized to Max. He rolled his eyes, pulling you quickly inside the now open cabin. "Okay, (Y/N). You find the phone. I'll write down what you need to say. Got it?" Nodding, you searched for the phone. The only one in sight was an old rotary dial phone, and you mentally hoped you remembered how it was used. Max handed you the clipboard, which had a phone number hastily scrawled on top of a paragraph. "Okay, (Y/N)!" Max stood behind you, placing his hands on your shoulders. "Let's do this."</p>
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<a name="section0034"><h2>34. You Better Hope!</h2></a>
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    <p>"Ahem! Uhh..Hello! Uh...this is ...counselor BONQUISHA?! ....Err..yes, Bonquisha! We're calling to let you know that Harrison's magic is completely out of control, and we need you to come collect him. He's...err...vanished 12 children?!" Max was snickering hard, unable to keep a straight face while you read what he told you to. "So uh....don't call back, as we are currently using all our manpower to find these kids before their parents start to worry! Uh! And if I'm not here when you come, he's probably vanished me too! So uh...yeah!" Grimacing, you mouthed 'Do I have to?' at Max. He nodded, attempting to be serious for a moment. "Uh! Well! Bonquisha out this bitch!" After delivering the last line, you slammed the receiver into the dock and groaned from the embarrassment.</p><p>Max was doubled over in laughter. "Oh man! (Y/N)! You're so fucking awesome! I didn't think you would actually read the last line! You're so fucking cool!" Groaning more, you put your face in your hands. "Oh my godddd. That was probably the single most embarrassing thing I've ever done." Max placed an arm around your shoulder. "Well when you're with me, get used to it! Team Max and (Y/N) for ever!" You heart skipped a beat, thankful that your red face could easily be mistaken for embarrassment. "Ughhh! Fine! Whatever you say!" Max squeezed once and let you go. "Now come on! We gotta get out this bitch!" That made you laugh, and you followed Max out the door to freedom.</p><p>The two of you decided it would be much better to lay low until your scheme worked. After lights out, you planned to both sneak out of your cabins and go to the treehouse. You were in the middle of packing your bag when someone knocked softly on your cabin door. "Who is it?" You called out, trying to shove an extra pillow into the bag. "May I enter thyne abode?" Smiling, you told Nerris to come inside. She did, shutting the door behind her and going to sit on your bed. Taking a look, you noticed she looked upset. "What's wrong, Nerris?" She twiddled her thumbs. "Doth thou thinketh of anything that plagues thy mind?" Sighing, you stopped packing the bag. Nerris had a right to know what had you so freaked out.</p><p>After telling her the whole story about yesterday, her face flashed between anger, sadness, and horror. So upset, she dropped the speaking mannerism. "(Y/N). I know Harrison is dangerous, too. I can't believe he did this to you! He-!" She stood up, choosing to fight back. "I'm going to tell David!" You rushed to her side, grabbing her hand. "Nerris, no! You can't! If you get involved, he might disappear you!" Her face hardened, and then fell. "I can't just sit by while my friend is suffering. This is totally not cool. I want to do something..." Squeezing her hand, you attempted to calm her down. "Actually...Max and I did something. You'll see." </p><p>She grinned softly. "Okay...I trust you. But don't think for one second that you're alone! I, Nerris the amazing, will bravely go to battle!" Hugging her tight, you smiled and thanked her. "When I get back, we'll decorate some more scrolls! I know you liked that one I did with the snowman." She smiled, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. "Alright, (Y/N)." She headed for the door, but turned to tell you one last thing. "When I'm back, we'll make those Christmas scrolls again. Nerris the Brave, bid thee goodbye!" After exiting your cabin, you continued to pack up.</p><p>After dinner, lights out was fast approaching. You picked up your bag, and waited for the camp to settle down before making your escape. Silently, you crept toward the treehouse. You knocked a special rhythm that Max taught you, and after a second of waiting, he let you in. The treehouse was decorated like a slumber party of your dreams. Packed high next to the T.V set, you could see loads of VHS tapes precariously stacked next to an old Super Nintendo. "I stole that from Neil. He won't mind. Or...I don't care if he minds." You laughed, scolding Max. "Here," he mumbled, pressing a cold can into your palm. "Swiped these from mess hall." You read the label. "Mmmm! Off brand cola!" A couple minutes later, and the two of you were snuggled into a pillow fort and sorting through possible movie options. </p><p>"Oh my god! The sorcerers stone? They put Parry Hotter on VHS? Let's watch this one!" Max groaned. "No more lame fucking magicians, (Y/N). I'm honestly sick of them." Laughing, you inspected the tape, staring at the Warner Bros logo. The tape fell out of your hand, clattering to the floor. Max whipped his head over, alarmed. "What's up? Don't tell me you forgot something." Face pale, you pulled the blankets over your shoulders and squeezed. "Nerris came to visit me today. She said something weird. Nerris would never forget what scrolls are what." Max looked extremely confused. "Scrolls? The fuck? Wait...Nerris?" Thinking back, you distinctly remembered the magic scroll being for ice powers, NOT "Christmas". Max bolted towards the door, and you batted away the pillows that fell. "Max!..." He whipped around, fear and panic etched into his face. "I don't think that was Nerris that came to see me!"</p>
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<a name="section0035"><h2>35. And...Action! Pt.1</h2></a>
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    <p>The familiar twinkle of Harrison's magic being activated proved your fears correct. He had used his magic to impersonate Nerris, in order to get information out of you. Your blood ran cold as ice when he used her voice to call out to you. "(Y/N)? Art thoust innest therest?" It was obvious he was tormenting you, putting the ye olde English on thick and laughable. "Harrison, I know it's you." You called out shakily, hoping he would drop the act. He did. </p><p>"So you know it's me, then. Oh well!" After delivering his lines, the lock vanished from the hatch, leaving you two defenseless. His muffled voice grew clearer as he opened the lid, the top of his magicians hat peeking into the tree house. "See, I knew you were hiding something from me. I thought we had something between us...something magical." You could hear the sneer in his voice, your heart beating out of your chest as his face became visible. "And now, you're obviously playing hard to get! That's fine. I realized something after my fight with the rabid mutt of yours." As soon as the insult left his curled lips, Max sprang in front of you. "I don't fucking think so. Dude, seriously. Think about what you're doing." </p><p>Harrison levitated up into the treehouse, chuckling. "What I'm doing? But I haven't done anything. Yet." You were paralyzed with fear, adrenaline pumping through your veins. "Harrison! Stop. Don't do anything rash. Please." He preened his rolled sleeve to perfection, choosing to relish the moment he was creating. "Actually, I realized that with my power, I could do anything I wanted. I figured out that the only thing holding me back was my own heart." With a snap, Max rose up and away from you, bumping into the ceiling. "Fuck!" He wiggled about, desperate to break free of the invisible force. "Fucking magic prick!" Thankfully, Harrison chose to ignore his comments. Coming to a stop a foot from your body, he reached out to stroke your shivering cheek. "I can do anything I want. Have anyone I want." You attempted to back up, but with a flick of his finger your feet froze to the floor. </p><p>Stuck fast, you toppled backwards, butt hitting the floor with a loud thump. "Ouch!" As soon as Max heard your curse of pain, he thrashed harder. "Harrison! If you fucking touch-" Harrison had heard enough, zipping his mouth closed with a flick of the wrist. Max's eyes froze wide, fear finally etching into his features. The magician knelt down, placing your chin between his thumb and pointer finger. You grimaced, body telling your muscles to freeze. "Oh, (Y/N). Everyone doubts my magic ability. But you never did. You loved my tricks. Let me show you one more." A single tear slid out the corner of your eye, and he wiped it away with a single finger. </p><p>His hand clenched into a fist in front of you, and when it opened, the charm appeared right in the center. "See, this one is special. Once I put this on you, you'll never be able to take it off. That, and it always broadcasts your location to me. Pretty, right?" He dangled it loosely in front of your gaze, allowing it to swing slightly from side to side. "Haha! Do you think hypnosis is real? I mean...I'm real. I defy all odds. I'm a freak of nature. Sounds like we should give it a try. What do you say? Care to see another trick?" You gently tried to shake your head, but he pinched your chin to keep it still. Ever so gently, he pushed it up and down, forcing you to nod in agreement. "Wow! Glad you agree. Let's give it a go." </p><p>He pulled up, choosing to sit down in front of you. "Okay, you know how it goes. Keep your eyes on the charm. Watch it go back and forth. You're feeling sleepy." Confused, you chose to avert your gaze, but still felt the need for sleep creep up into your head. Your eyelids slowly grew heavier, and pretty soon it was too hard to keep them open. "Please..." you trembled, begging your once friend. He laughed in response. "Shhh. When you're asleep, I'll rewrite that little brain of yours. You'll be completely enraptured, and probably beg to marry me. You'll worship the ground I walk on. And then, you'll -!!" Harrison's eyes rolled to the back of his head at the impact. He teetered forward for a few moments, until he flopped over onto the treehouse floor. Your savior stood over his body, holding her trusty staff. Nerris had come to save the day.</p>
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<a name="section0036"><h2>36. And...Action! Pt.2</h2></a>
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    <p>"Yeah, I definitely rolled a 20 on that save." Nerris smirked, standing up straight with her trusty staff at her side. You took a deep breath, moving your feet and feeling more awake than before. "Oh fuuuuuck!" Max detached from the ceiling, hitting the floor with a loud thud. Groaning in pain as he lay face down, Nerris immediately went to help. He continued to lie there, but gave a muffled and weak "Fuf off, Wewwis." after she poked him in the shoulder. Frowning, she procured two ibuprofen out of her magic pouch. Sliding them under his hand, she waved a calming spell over him. "For thee, brave knight."</p><p>"Nerris...Max..what do we do?" You asked, after scooting as far away from Harrison as you could. She tapped her fingers on her chin, deep in thought. "Hmm...whenever my dad and I run into really really overpowered and tough enemies on our campaigns, we ask for help. And I know JUST who to ask." She wiggled her fingers in a dazzling fashion, to add suspense. "The inn keeper!" Max groaned, although you couldn't tell if it was agreeing or disagreeing. </p><p>After picking up Max from the floor, you pulled his arm around your shoulder as a crutch. "Lean on me, Max. I got you." Somewhat delirious, he only nodded. "Mmmhm." Nerris knocked politely on Gwen's cabin door, and when no answer came, knocked much more vigorously. After knocking for five whole minutes, the haggard and royally pissed off counselor appeared. Peeling up a cucumber, she peeked down at the three of you. "Oh, great. And what do I owe the extreme pleasure of interacting tonight with you brats? Do you even know what time it is?" Max slipped off of your shoulder, crumpling to the ground. "Max!" You dropped to the floor, inspecting his face for more injuries. Gwen's eyebrows lifted high, forcing the other cucumber to fall to the deck planks. "Oh, damn. Okay. Come in." </p><p>"So. Harrison has 'gone evil'", her newly trimmed nails created air quotes. "And you need help? If this is a stupid game, I'm not playing." Nerris was seated in the second chair, while you attended to Max. His lip had freshly opened up again, and you pressed a piece of gauze gently to stop the bleeding. Nerris scowled. "I can assure you this isn't a prank. We need your help, or he's going to go after you. You think for one second he'll stop at (Y/N)?" Gwen looked intrigued at the mention of your name. "And just why does the magic kid want (Y/N)?" Nerris's eyes flickered over to you, silently asking permission. You blushed, nodded once, and turned full attention back to Max. "Harrison has a very big attachment to them. He's resorted to using his magic to force a relationship." Gwen practically went airborne with excitement. </p><p>"Oh my god! This is so like this one show I've been watching! The main character is a normal girl, who like, totally almost dies. But then the-" Nerris snapped her fingers. "Excuse me, but..We desperately need to deal with this? He could wake up any moment." Gwen pondered it, lifted her index finger, and took off towards her cabin bathroom. "Aha! I've got just the thing." She said as she rattled a pill bottle. "I used to..uh...put these in the food so the kids would have a niiiiiice little nap time. Before David found out. Damn." Nerris swiped the bottle. "Thanks! Gotta go!" You extended your hand, attempting to stop her. "Nerris! Wait! You can't go alone!" She stopped at the door, turning to give a lopsided smile. "Thou must be joking! I, Sir Nerris, have been awaiting a time to be a true hero! Await my return, fair (Y/N)! I won't let thee perish! Oh, and" she rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. "I really love being your friend." After she delivered her hero's speech, she took off, leaving you to tend to Max.</p><p>The wait for news was killing you. Gwen had tried to pass the time by letting you watch her recorded soap operas, but worrying about Max and Nerris had taken up all of your mental energy. After 20 minutes had passed, and no news came, you decided to go after them. The guilt had worked into your heart, taking root and festering. "Gwen. Watch Max. I've got to go help. I'm the one he wants anyways, I think I can stop it." She nodded, fully engrossed in her show. "Sure, sure. Tell me how it goes. Or not."</p>
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